Save Me From The Monsters (TomoeXReader) • Completed •

The Day She Overtook Him

Chapter 5: The Day She Overtook Him

5 years later

Word Count: 1113

Tomoe's POV (lowkey pumped)

"Tomoe~"

I jerk awake, nearly falling from the sakura tree that hangs high over the old well.

Dear gods what a frightful dream

I shiver at the thought of that girl saying my name in such a way.

I will never fall for a human woman. Even if she looks like a yokai.

The sun has set, and (y/n) has most likely finished her training with the end of the day. I consider retiring as well. Mikage might've even said something to me about speaking with him tonight.

Or was it tomorrow?

I prepare to jump from the tree when a certain girl flashes in front of my eyes in a beautiful backward arch. Her dark hair is braided down her back behind her, strands pulling loose and sticking to the sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her dark ears twitch atop her head and her tail circles the ground upon her landing.

Gods, she never gives up does she?

(Y/n) swings the bamboo shaft in her hand with a determined look on her face. Her sapphire eyes burning with an intensity that I can't name. Her persistence intrigues me to say the least.

While I can't pin a reason why she struggles so greatly to defeat me, I can't quite understand why she wants that awful katana so badly. Five years is a long time to chase her own pride about loosing to me, so unless this girl is more fat headed than I could've ever imagined, she wants that katana more than she wants sleep, for she often sacrifices it to practice with that bamboo stick.

I've watched her quite often, and while I'll admit that she's gotten strong for a human yokai, it will never be enough to defeat me. I have enough scars to prove that I've dealt with many a beast stronger than (y/n).

She is not enough.

She will never be enough.

I scoff, turning my back to her, ready to return to my master when a sound escapes her lips that sends me straight back toward her.

What sounds at first like a scream morphs into a sob and I rush toward her, the odd angle of her foot indicating her cry of pain.

"What on earth do you hope to achieve by doing this?" I scold her despite my worry as I stand above her, watching her eyes intently.

Just give up. I plead

Anger flashes in her eyes. She leans over to grab the bamboo shaft, attempting to pull herself back up.

"Go away, Tomoe." She says without hesitation. I can feel the annoyance building inside her. I pull out my fan.

"You should just accept that you will neve-"

"I don't know why you're here, but I don't need your lecturing." She cuts me off, bringing herself to a standing position, obviously prepared to walk the full three miles distance back to the shrine with absolutely zero assistance from me. Her foot hangs limp as she hobbles with the uninjured foot and the bamboo shaft. I can see the strain on her features as she walks right past me.

A vision, a memory of her whining eight years ago at having to run a single mile finds my mind. The memory of her, small and weak and unwilling to learn or listen to anything I said to her.

The same girl walks in front of me with one leg and a bamboo shaft, injured from training all day long, with not a single complaint seeping from her lips.

She really has grown.

Her working leg buckles beneath her and a sound of pain finds my ears. Without thinking my body responds, rushing to her, slipping my arms beneath her and lifting her without a word.

She pushes at my chest.

"Tomoe, put me down!" Tears prick the edges of her eyes, and I snap my gaze forward.

"It wouldn't kill you to accept help, (y/n)" I say, hating how her efforts suddenly cease as she looks up at me incredulously.

"Since when have you ever offered me help?" My ears flatten back as I stop in my tracks.

"First time for everything, I guess." I continue my march toward the shrine, looking away from her as she crosses her arms, and looks forward.

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(sorry lmao, couldn't let you poke too much into our little Tomoe's mind)

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(Y/n) POV

Mikage rushes to us as soon as we come in sight of the shrine, fussing over me, of course. He takes me from Tomoe and rushes me into the shrine, setting and casting my ankle in record speed. Despite my protest, he carries me to by room and puts me on house arrest until he deems me healed enough to resume my duties.

Reluctantly, I agree to his wishes.

But when I return to my room, with Mikage's assistance, I find none other than my brother's katana on the pillow.

I smirk.

Stupid Tomoe

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xoxo

Harleighkinz