Four Nights

Chapter 1

Watching humans sleep is troublesome. When they sleep, they become so vulnerable, so dead to the world. To a higher being, the sight should be a power surge, a reminder that yes, you are above this weak little thing, who could be killed with a flick of the wrist. But if somehow the human just happens to be your god, those thoughts are less empowering and more terrifying. Tomoe began to notice this this the first night Nanami stayed in the shrine.

Well, technically it was the second, since Tomoe had more or less skipped out on night one. But that wasn't important.

They were traveling back to the human world when Nanami yawned, "Tomoe, I'm tired."

The fox grunted. "Okay."

"No, Tomoe, I'm really tired."

"Good for you."

"Tomoe," Nanami whined, "Can we find a place to rest or something? Just for a little bit."

Tomoe scowled. "Unless you want to become a nice tasty snack for a hoard of yokai, no, we can't."

"Nanami-sama, Tomoe-dono would be happy to carry you to the shrine on his back," Kotetsu chirped up.

Tomoe glared at the spirit, about to yell at it for speaking in his place, but before he could Onikiri had joined in. Suddenly there was a little chorus of squeaking spirits convincing a very tired girl to command her new servant to give her a piggy back ride home. Tomoe growled softly and rubbed his wrists, feeling the cursed binds tightening as her will grew.

Nanami looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "Tomoe," she said, raising her arms like a child, "carry me."

With a click of his tongue, Tomoe dug an arm into Nanami's waist and flung her over his shoulder, carrying her like a potato sack. Nanami screeched while the spirits yelled, but Tomoe kept walking. He'd upheld the request just fine.

Eventually the spirits quieted. Nanami protested long after, screaming and thrashing in his arm, but before long she stopped too. Tomoe walked in silence.

Nanami's head hung a little ways down his shoulder. Tomoe could feel as her breathing slowed and quieted down. He felt the subtle change in her body temperature and heard how her heart calmed inside her chest as she drifted into sleep. Even in such a position, the girl had fallen asleep. Tomoe sighed. What a pathetic excuse for a god, couldn't even stay awake long enough to get to the shrine. Not to mention humans became completely defenseless in sleep, and they were still surrounded by yokai.

Honestly, he should have left her behind for the others to eat. It might teach the girl some discipline.

Tomoe took her back to the shrine, grumbling the entire way. The spirits ran ahead to prepare her bed. Tomoe went inside and slide off both of their shoes. Nanami sighed softly against his chest.

"Stupid girl," Tomoe muttered, bringing her to the bedroom. He lowered and gently dropped her onto the futon. She grunted, but didn't show any sign of waking up. Tomoe watched her, scrunching his nose in disgust. It was pathetic how vulnerable little girls became. He could have tossed her out the window and she wouldn't wake up until she went splat on the ground. If anything happened she'd be completely screwed. That had to be some kind of evolutionary flaw. Without knowing it, Tomoe sat staring.

As disgusting as it all was, it made his heart beat just a little faster. Because she was soft, and she was unprepared, and she was completely exposed like this. As a familiar, the duty to protect is an instinct. He had to protect her that much more as she slept. Thoughts of Nanami's comfort, Nanami's wellbeing, Nanami's safety raced through his mind. It pissed him off. Contract be damned.

Tomoe bitterly ran off the list of all his chores to himself. He had to clean. He had to prepare the shrine for the new "god". He didn't have time to sit and watch little girls sleep. And quite frankly, he didn't want to.

Tomoe pushed up onto his feet and left Nanami's side to fix up the room. He felt the contract binds faintly tugging at him, asking him to stay behind, just so he could be sure there was nothing to worry about. He consoled it by telling himself that it didn't matter to him if Nanami spontaneously combusted while he was off doing his job. Who the hell cared about what happened to a stupid girl like that? Not him, that's for sure.

In any case, nothing would happen. Whether he'd admit it or not, knowing that was comforting.

In any case, Tomoe worked hard through the night to make the shrine perfect for its new master.

And in any case, when he was done cleaning and redecorating, Tomoe lowered himself down a little ways away from Nanami's bed where he could keep watch. He was far enough away where he wouldn't become irritated by her very existence, but close enough that he could still hear the gentle drum of her heart and make sure it was still beating.

Tomoe groaned quietly to himself, realizing that this poor excuse for a god would be in charge of his life for a long, long time.