Four Nights

Chapter 4

A full moon. Tomoe always spent full moon nights on the porch. He and Mikage used to watch the sky together on nights like this. The memories were a bit bitter now, but Tomoe kept up the tradition alone. The pipe lingered in his lips, smoke flowing up into the night air. A half-filled cup of sake hung loosely in his hand. Full moon nights had been somber for twenty years now.

Tomoe lounged across the floor, drifting in and out of sleep. They were well into autumn. He wore a thick yakata to keep the cold out. The world was peacefully silent, quietly perfect. Tomoe blew smoke out over the moon.

Behind him was the soft sound of rustling. His ears flickered slightly in that direction, but Tomoe ignored it, sipping from his cup.

It was soundless again for a few minutes, before a hushed little voice whispered, "Tomoe..."

Tomoe turned to glance behind him. Nanami stood, huddled under a blanket. The moonlight made her features more delicate, more lady-like, he thought. Tomoe's tail swished lazily. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Nanami shifted awkwardly, playing with the blanket hem. "What are you still doing up?" She asked without making eye contact.

Tomoe pointed a slender finger up into the sky. "The moon is full tonight," he said. "I always watch the full moon."

"Do you?" Nanami smiled, laughing a bit. "That's really cute."

Tomoe snorted and turned back around. "What about you? Why are you awake at this hour?"

Nanami twisted the blanket around her fingers, watching the ground shamefully. "...I had a nightmare."

"Is that so?" Tomoe took a long drag from the pipe, letting it fill his lungs.

"Yeah..."

"What should I do about that?" The steamy white billowed out from between his lips. The air around him reeked of the drug.

Nanami laughed again, timidly. She didn't speak for a moment. Tomoe looked back. "Nanami, do you need anything?"

"Ah..." The god pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "This is stupid and don't take it weird...But could I sleep with you?" The fox's ears perked and his eyebrows shot up. A smirk played on his face. Nanami went red. "I mean...not in the same bed or anything but...you know..." Her feet shuffled in place. "A-And don't think this is me being weird it's just because of the dream. Just this one night." She clenched onto the blanket, counting the threads so she wouldn't have to look at Tomoe. "I'm not a little kid either, this is just a one time thing. A one time thing, okay? So don't-"

"Nanami."

With a small squeak, the girl stopped talking. She gulped and looked up at the fox. Tomoe rolled onto his other side so he was facing her. The edges of his yukata slid open, showing his pale skin. Flicking his wrist, he emptied the contents of his pipe into a small dish and put out the flame. "Come," he ordered, putting his cup and pipe to the side and lifting his arm to make a place for Nanami. When she just stood, he went on, "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I don't mind and I already know you're a child so it doesn't make much of a difference in the end. Besides, you're a god. I'm in no place to refuse a request from you."

"...I'm not a child," she grumbled, but scooted closer to Tomoe.

The fox chuckled as Nanami brought herself down. Slightly red, she pressed herself against the warmth of Tomoe's chest. His arm went over her back, holding her close, making her blush more.

Tomoe pushed his other arm underneath her head, acting as a pillow. He tugged the blanket over both of them and lowered his head down next to Nanami's. "Is this comfortable?" He asked. Nanami nodded quickly. "Alright. So tell me about this dream."