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You woke up with a start. How long have you been asleep? God, you were so behind on your chores. You threw the blanket off you and were about to stand up when a wave of dizziness hit you. You sat back down, holding your head. This headache was still driving you nuts. How could you do your wifely duties while your head hurt?
“Ah, I see you’re awake,”
Damnit, someone needed to put a bell on Shinobu. How long had she been in the room?
“Yes, I am. How long have I been asleep?”
“Asleep?” Shinobu cocked her head. “Y/N, you passed out. You suddenly collapsed while making dinner for your husband and your wives.”
Oh no.
Your dizzy spells had been worsening, but you managed to hide them. When you passed out, you could always tell. Why had this one been so bad? Oh, and Tengen saw it! Tengen probably went ballistic; he was so protective of his wives. Suma was also so sensitive; she hated seeing people she loved hurt. God, this was such a mess.
“Y/N, how long were you planning on not eating?” Shinobu asked.
You didn’t say anything for a second. There was no way Shinobu hadn’t realized what was going on. While she wasn’t the strongest Hashria but she was brilliant. There was no one smarter than her.
“It was only three days,” You managed to answer.
“Oh, that’s fine. You only starved your body of nutrients needed to survive and caused yourself to pass out,” Shinobu’s voice had a bite to it. “Not only did you worry Tengen and your sweet wives, but you didn’t even think of poor little Zenistu.”
Shinobu was good at making your feel guilty. Granted, she was right. Zenistu had found out about you not eating; he heard your stomach rumbling. You explained and begged him not to say anything when he asked why. The secret was probably eating him up inside. Sweet Zenistu had always been so kind to you, partly because he had an obvious crush on you. What a terrible person you were to take advantage of him.
“I—-I—-” Your voice wavered. “I was trying to lose weight so I wouldn’t embarrass Tengen and the others.”
The first tear slid down your face.
“What?” Shinobu asked.
“Look at me!” You shouted. “My body is so unappealing compared to Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru’s. I’m a fat tub of lard who doesn’t deserve four loving spouses! Tengen would be better off without me anyways!”
Tears begin to fall, and you hide your face, sobbing. All you had wanted was to be a beautiful wife to Tengen and your three wives. Now, you had failed. You had failed completely. They would never accept you back. What were you going to do? Where would you live? The idea of them rejecting you was worse than death in your eyes.
Shinbou grabbed your hair and slapped you across the face.
“That is enough! Y/N, I’ll poison you if you ever speak about yourself like this again!” She said. “How could you doubt Tengen’s love? Do you think he’s so cruel?”
“No, but—”
“While I think four wives is too many, there is no doubt in my mind that Tengen adores you,” Shinobu continued. “I remember when he came to me, asking for advice.”
“He came to you? Why?”
“He said it had been long since he courted anyone. He was nervous.”
“Nervous,” You deadpanned. “Tengen Uzui, the god of festivals, was nervous?”
“I know, I can barely believe it myself, but Tengen was enamored with you. And your wives? Oh, they were beside themselves. Didn’t you notice how Suma would always follow you around?”
The memory brought a smile to your face. Before marrying Uzui and your wives, you were a nurse at the Butterfly Mansion. When you met Uzui, you didn’t think much of his flirting. How come could someone like him be interested in a fatty like you? Then, you met Suma, Makio, and Hina. They were each beautiful in their own way, and you weren’t shocked when Tengen revealed he was married to all three of them.
What was shocking was all four of them had taken an interest in you. Suma would show up at the butterfly mansion and just trail after you. Even though she was squeamish around blood and broken bones, she never stopped following after you. Makio had been a bit more awkward, coming off as mean when she interacted with you. Your sweetness had won her over; that she what she told you. Whenever Makio showed up, you always smiled at her no matter what she said.
Hina was much more subtle, but you had caught her blushing a few times. When you asked why, she brushed it off, but eventually, you noticed her staring. You were naive at the time; you hadn’t dated much. Being a bigger woman meant a smaller dating pool. You didn’t pick up on these clues until Tengen came to you with a massive bouquet of flowers. It was filled with some of the most beautiful and unique flowers I had ever seen.
“Oh, those are beautiful, Tengen,” You said with a smile. “Shinobu will love them.”
“These aren’t for Kocho-san,” He said.
“Really? I thought they were a gift to thank you for constantly patching you,” You teased.
“It’s true; she has been a great help in keeping me in tip-top shape,” Tengen said. “But these are you for.”
That made you freeze. Was this a joke? No one had ever given you flowers. Well, your father had, but that didn’t count. You looked at him, searching for a bit of malice in his smile. No, that smile was genuine. Tengen wasn’t a person to lie; he was always honest about his desires.
“For me?” You looked at the flowers. “But wouldn’t this be something you give to some you want to court?”
“Oh, so you’re finally catching on,” Tengen handed you the flowers. “Y/N, my wives have been begging me to ask you a crucial question. It’s not a question I ask just anyone. Y/N, would you allow us the honor of courting you?”
The world had gone still at that moment. You were speechless for an eternity before you squeaked out a small ‘yes.’
“Wait, did you suggest the bouquet he gave me?” You asked Shinobu.
“I did,” Shinobu giggled. “He didn’t know what kind of flowers you liked, so he decided to get that big one, full of different ones. He was nervous even then. I had to push him into the mansion to get him going.”
This news was shocking. Tengen was the most confident man you knew. No one could even come close to Tengen’s bravado. He saw himself as a god and declared he was flashy constantly. But he had been nervous about courting you? That seemed impossible. It drove people crazy, but you personally found it charming. You wished you had at least a fraction of his confidence.
Your conversation was interrupted when the door flew open. There stood your husband, panting and slightly sweaty. Oh, you were in for it. He was going to be so mad at you. He made his way toward your bed and then grabbed your face.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
“Um—yes?”
“There are no bruises from the fall? Did you hit your head? What about a fracture?” He turned to Shinobu. “I want you to run as many tests as you can. What if she contracted a deadly disease?”
“Um–Tengen?”
“When she fell, she fell hard! Was there any bleeding?”
“Tengen?”
“Do we need to contact any other doctors?”
“TENGEN!” You managed to shout. “Tengen, I’m fine. I just passed out.”
“Yes, because you weren’t eating,” Tengen said.
Great, he knew. Zenistu had probably told him. You winced as he gave you what was known as the ‘Husband Stare.’ He was angry.
“It’s no big deal, I just—-”
“No big deal?” Tengen repeated. “No big deal? No big deal!? You PASSED OUT! You could have been injured when you fell!”
“But I wasn’t,” You tried to interrupt.
“And do you know what starving yourself does? That is not flashy! It thins out your hair, and your complexion becomes dull. I will not allow it!”
“I just–I was trying to lose weight. I thought it’d be faster this way,” You admitted. “I don’t want you to be embarrassed by me.”
“Embarrassed? Why would I be embarrassed by you?”
“Tengen, you’re so muscular and toned, while our wives have perfect waists. All of you are so perfect, and then there is me. I’m not even close to being on your level.”
“Who says?” Tengen asked. “Wait, were those assholes in town?”
“I—wait, you know?”
“Of course, I know. The blonde hair wimp told me. He was worried about you and used his hearing to figure out someone in town had been harassing you. Beloved, I don’t care what others think. It’s their fault for not seeing how brilliant and flashy you are. I’m also hurt. Do you think I’d leave you just because you’re not skinny?”
“Tengen,” You sniffled. “I—I’m sorry, I just got scared. You’re the best thing to happen to me, and I love our wives too. I’m just always afraid of losing this wonderful life.”
“Why?” Tengen asked, caressing your face. “Suma, Hina and Makio love you. I love you. Can’t our love be enough? The rest of the world can be stupid and not see your greatness, but you never have to worry about our love.”
“Oh, Tengen!” You hugged him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean you scare you or our wives. I love you all so much!”
“Please, don’t starve yourself to fit in. You don’t have to,” Tengen squeezed you. “Let’s go home.”
“Wait,” You looked over at Shinobu. “Shinobu, I want to thank you. Not just for your help but for talking to me.”
“You’re welcome. Normally, I’d recommend you stay in bed, but I have a feeling Uzui won’t listen to me,” Shinobu sighed.
“You’d be right,” Uzui said.
Uzui picked you up effortlessly. You squealed, wrapping your arms around his neck.
“I can walk!” You protested.
“The girls don’t want to be away from her,” Uzui continued. “Thank you for your help Kocho!”
“Tengen, I can walk!” You said again.
“Walking is for those who are unflashy,” He said, carrying you out of the mansion.
“Y/N, YOU’RE OKAY!”
Suma started bawling upon seeing you. The entire way back home, Uzui refused to put you down. When you entered the house, the wives all came running to greet you. Tengen put you down, and immediately, you were swarmed by the three women.
“I thought you were going to die!” Suma wailed. “You passed out, and it was so scary!”
“Stop smothering her; you’ll get snot all over her!” Makio said. “Y/N, don’t you ever do that to us again! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
“I’m sorry, Makio, Suma,” You said. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Your stomach growled loudly, interrupting the sweet moment.
“I had a feeling you’d be hungry,” Hinatsuru chuckled. “We prepared a special dinner.”
“Would there be any tempura?” You asked, hopefully.
“Of course,” Hinatsuru said.
“Yes! I love your cooking, Hina!” You hugged her.
“Hey, where is my hug?” Suma asked.
Tengen smiled as he watched his happy wives. It was chaos, but god, did he love it. People usually enjoyed silence and stillness but not Tengen. He wanted his house to be loud, filled with laughter and love. As the girls ushered Y/N into the dining room, Tengen slipped away. He was going to join them, but he had something else he needed to attend to.
Quietly as he could, he took off towards town. He reached the local bar; outside stood Zenistu.
“Are they in there?” Tengen asked.
“Yes,” Zenistu said through gritted teeth. “Once you’re done with me, I want to a turn! Those slimeballs insult Miss Y/N’s beauty! They’re going to pay.”
Tengen chuckled; Zenistu was many things, but he didn’t take people disrespecting women. It was flashy. Zenistu entered the bar and pointed towards a rowdy group sitting at a table. Tengen nodded as he marched towards them. He stopped before the group, waiting for them to notice him. A sloppily, dull man with greasy hair looked at him, unimpressed. It took them a minute.
“Can we help you?” One of them asked.
Tengen responded with a hand around the man’s neck. Without breaking a sweat, he threw the offender over an empty table. It shattered, and bar patrons took notice. The man gasped for air but had little time to breathe as Tengen picked him up by the feet.
“Daichi!” Someone yelled. “Hey, put him down!”
Tengen turned to look at the rest of the group. The rest of them froze as he gave them a cold, heartless stare. These were the people who harassed his wife; they had no rights. He dropped Daichi and strode over to the table.
“Which one of you said it?” He asked his voice low.
“S-said what?” One of them gulped.
“Which one of you called my wife a cow?” He asked. “Don’t act like you don’t know. Y/N Uzui, she comes to town frequently, and I was told that you unflashy lot are the ones who demeaned her. So who said it?”
The rest of the table was silent, giving each other glances. Tengen’s patience was wearing thin. He took his blades on and stabbed the table.
“It was Shouji!” Daichi managed, pointing at a man in a green kimono. “He was the one who started it! He even said she looked like a whale!”
“It’s true! He even oinked at her like a pig!” Another added.
“Seriously?” Shouji said. “Okay, so I called the fatty a cow! So—”
Tengen grabbed Shouji by the neck. Shouji started gagging, but Tengen didn’t let go. Instead, he left the bar with Shouji in hand. He passed by Zenistu and merely nodded. The yellow-haired boy returned the nod and ran into the bar. He could hear the young boy screaming up a storm, defending Y/N. Shouji kept trying to breathe, but Tengen ignored him.
Using his training, he jumped up into the air and landed on a building. No, it wasn’t high enough. Looking around, he saw a tower. Ah, that was perfect. He ran towards it, never releasing his grip. Tengen jumped up and ran up the building when he got close enough. When he reached the top, he held Shouji over the edge.
“Please, please don’t drop me!” He begged.
“Oh, I’m not going to drop you,” Tengen said with a twisted grin. “But you are going to suffer. I’m also going to make something clear. Don’t you ever interact with my wife again? Don’t look at her, don’t think about her, don’t even mention her name. Got it?”
Shouji nodded. Tengen brought him away from the edge and set him down. He got a kunai and held it against the other man’s throat.
“Get undressed, now,”
Shouji complied. Once he was down to his underwear, Tengen threw rope toward the man.
“Tie your arms up,” He said. “Hurry it up.”
Once again, Shouji obeyed. Once he was tied, Tengen grabbed the rest of the rope. He tied it firmly to the railing and then grabbed Shouji. Shouji started to beg for mercy, but it fell on deaf ears. Tengen tossed Shouji over the edge and watched as the man wailed. He hung there, naked and terrified. Tengen felt satisfied and decided to head back to his wives.
“Wow, you even made ramen? Just for me?” Y/N said.
“Of course! I even added extra pork,” Hinasturu said.
“Hina, you’re the best!” Y/N said.
“Hey, what about us? We helped you know,” Makio grumbled, crossing her arms.
Y/N laughed and gave Makio a kiss on the cheek. Makio tried to hide her face, but she was apparently smiling.
“I want a kiss too!” Suma pouted. “I was the one who made the dango!”
“There is dango for dessert? Hooray!”
Y/N pulled Suma forward and showered her with kisses.
“Hey, no fair!” Makio said.
Tengen managed to sneak back into the kitchen without his wife noticing. He laughed heartily, seeing Makio and Suma fighting over Y/N’s affections. Y/N noticed Tengen, and she got up to run to him.
“You’ll miss out if you don’t come and sit! If you don’t, I’ll eat all of it!” Y/N teased.
“Now this?” Tengen tickled her chin. “This is what I like to see. I like to see my Y/N happy and silly like she normally is. No more starving yourself?”
“Nope!” She said. “Now come on, sit down!”
Tengen sat down with his wives. He smiled as he looked down at his spouse. Y/N was feeding Suma a dumpling while Hinastru cleaned something off Makio’s face. Makio was blushing, trying to avoid Hina’s look. This was his perfect little family; he’d do anything to protect them.