Warning: This chapter contain slightly lemon scenes. Beware of Tomoe's cuteness. (Hehe]

CHAPTER TWO

The Shrine was rather lively that morning.

"Tomoe!" The snake familiar hissed at the demon fox. "How dare you sleep in Nanami's room last night!"

"Shut your mouth, snake. Or else I'll cut you into pieces and add you to this hamburger." Tomoe muttered darkly while holding a kitchen knife.

"Why you insufferable!" Mizuki's eyes flared.

Nanami's brow twitched. Yes, it was rather too lively for her taste.

A brawl ensued. The kitchen fairly shook and the ceiling light swayed as the two swung at each other's head.

There they go again..

"You two!" She slammed her palms on the table. "Stop fighting!"

And just like that, the two familiar leapt from each other, hands in mid-air.

Mikage entered the fray with a smile. "You two really fight a lot, don't you?" As usual he was radiating that morning. "What is it this time?"

Mizuki pointed at the demon fox. "It's that traitorous fox, Mikage-sama! He slept in—"

Mizuki was cut off in the middle of his tattling as a bowl suddenly slammed into his face.

"My, my." Tomoe smiled. "I thought you were hungry, Mizuki?" Tomoe pushed the bowl harder against the familiar's face. "You were complaining that it's taking me too long to prepare your favorite dish, were you not?"

"It's not my favo—"

Tomoe bared the tip of his fang. "Hmm? Were you saying something?"

"Now, now, you two." Mikage cut in. "Why don't we just settle down and eat?"

Nanami heaved a sigh of relief. Tomoe went back to his cooking while Mikage sat at the opposite side of Nanami. And Mizuki, well, he was at the corner of the room clearly mopping. After a few minutes, Tomoe was finished and they all settled down at the table. It became a habit for them to eat together instead of the 'God-must-be-served-first' rule that was commonly done in other shrines. But Nanami insisted. After all, she'd been alone for many years and actually relished the feeling of sharing a meal with someone.

The doors opened and everyone glanced as the two shrine spirits entered.

"Kotetsu! Onikiri!" Nanami smiled.

"You two are rather late today." Tomoe said. Normally, the shrine spirits would be up and about as early as Tomoe but today they were rather inert.

"We apologize, Tomoe-dono." The one named Kotetsu said. "We didn't sleep well last night." Onikiri added.

Tomoe's eyes widened. "You too?"

Mizuki who heard the conversation jumped to his feet and pointed his chopsticks once again. "What exactly did you mean by that, Tomoe-kun?"

Nanami's face reddened in embarrassment at the implied meaning while Tomoe glared at him from the corner of his eyes. "Why didn't you sleep well last night?" He said to the spirits and ignored the hissing snake.

Onikiri scratched his head. "I had a nightmare."

"Me too." Kotetsu added.

Nanami stared at them in bewilderment. "I didn't know that shrine spirits could have nightmares."

Every head turned to look at her. Nanami had a feeling that she said something quite stupid. "Well," She coughed, embarrassed. "I spent a year living in this shrine but it's the first time Onikiri and Kotetsu said something like that."

"Spirits and demons, like humans, are capable of having dreams as well as nightmares." Mikage stated. "Dreams are claimed to be a realm between our world and your world, Nanami-san. It's a place where spirits of the dead and the living coexist."

Nanami stared at him. "Mikage-sama is truly knowledgeable, isn't it?"

The man smiled. "I've lived for many years after all."

Nanami stared thoughtfully at the wall. An image of Tomoe leaning over her flashed into her mind. His eyes— they looked so pained and distraught. She thought it was a dream. But that morning when she woke up, something heavy was wrapped around her waist. It was an arm attached to a hand with pointed and sharp nails. She shrieked and made such a commotion that Mizuki stormed inside with his big companion snake and all. He then became livid upon finding out that it was Tomoe.

Mizuki tried to pull the demon fox from her bed and Tomoe, being Tomoe punched the hell out Mizuki. They would've continued killing each other if it weren't for her stomachs' grumbling. Tomoe instantly took the opportunity to dash out of the room with Mizuki chasing after him— bringing their fight up to the kitchen.

"Ne, Tomoe." Nanami looked him but he was already no where in sight. "Tomoe?" She went out of the kitchen and spotted him walking in the hallway. "Tomoe!"

The demon fox stopped in midstride and looked at her. "What is it?"

Nanami walked up to him until she was just an arm away. "Do you think it odd that everyone had nightmares last night?"

The fox blinked at her. "Everyone?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Mizuki too. He was crying about dreaming about you stealing in the night and taking me away from the shrine. He was quite upset about it."

Tomoe's eyebrow raised a notch. "That's not really something new coming from that snake."

Nanami grabbed his sleeves. "Tomoe. Didn't you have a nightmare last night?" She said. The image of him leaning over her and looking so worried wouldn't go away.

Tomoe's gaze sharpened ever so slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," Nanami scratched her head. "When you went to my room last night. You looked so frightened."

Frightened? Him?

The demon fox scoffed. "You're probably dreaming."

Nanami narrowed her eyes at him but the fox looked away and wouldn't meet her eyes. He was certainly not going to admit it, she thought.

Nanami crossed her arms."What were you doing in my room last night, then?"

Tomoe let out a deep sigh as though he was contemplating what to say to her. She was expecting him to say something mean again when he just grabbed her arm and pulled her into a room. Nanami didn't even managed to cry out, before she knew it, she was trapped between the wall and the demon fox. "W-what are you doing?!"

It was too dark and she couldn't see a thing except for the long and slim hand that caressed the side of her face while the pointed and sharp nails glinted dangerously.

Nanami's face paled.

"Do you really want to know why I went to your room last night?" He whispered against her ear and followed it with a soft nip. He was standing so close that she could feel his warm breath while his other arm caged her at the side, trapping her whilst she tried to escape. Nanami shuddered against his hold while trying to put some distance between them but the demon fox leaned closer and breathed against her neck.

"T-tomoe." She whimpered.

"Do you know how long I've waited?" He said. Nanami could feel the brush of his lips against her soft skin, making her pulse leap. She should tell him to stop. She should command him to stop but her words— her words disappeared before they even come out of her mouth.

"For such a great demon like me to be deprived for so long. What do you think I will do? Hmm?" He kissed the side of her jaw up to the lobe of her ear before he drew the small rounded skin in his mouth and nibbled. Nanami let out a sound between a whimper and a moan. She grasped his shoulders tightly. Her whole body turning hot and cold.

Tomoe's body was so warm and yet she was shivering. He was whispering something in her ear but her miñd was too overwhelmed with sensations to understand. Then, suddenly, the door was wrenched opened, it slammed loudly against the wall and she was shoved back into the hallway.

Confused, she looked at Tomoe who smiled triumphantly at her. "Touche." He said before walking away.

Nanami could only stare at him in disbelief.

That stupid fox!

Tomoe leaned against the wall for support. He was breathing hard. It was terrifying. He nearly took her then and there. He only wanted to keep her from asking too many questions. At first, it was quite entertaining to tease her, see her beat-red face and hear her whimpering helplessly. But he didn't realize that it was quite getting out of hand. And before he knew it, he was at the verge of losing control. Driven by her scent and those supple—

Tomoe raked his hand in his hair. "Damn it." If he kept on doing such things who knows what he'll do to Nanami.

"Tomoe. What are you doing there?" Mikage who just came out of his room stared at the demon fox clinging on the wall. Tomoe quickly pushed himself away from it. "Nothing. I'm just on my way outside." He turned around quickly, afraid that Mikage would see right through him.

"Tomoe?"

"Yes?" He glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't go too far." Mikage whispered, his face a mask of concern and seriousness. Tomoe stared at him for a moment. It was odd to see the man in such a mood.

Tomoe nodded. "I won't."

Mikage stared at the departing figure of his familiar before he raised his head toward the ceiling. There was a palpable smell of miasma. It was stronger last night but it's still perceptible. "Is that you…?"

Anemone..

To be continued.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Here it is! I finally decided to turn this into a story probably as long as three to four chapters maybe. It depends on how imaginative I can be.

Oh, no. What did Mikage mean by that? There's miasma around the shrine? But why didn't Tomoe sense it? Who's Anemone? And what is that person's connection to Mikage? Find out in the next chapters!

As for Nanami and Tomoe's scene, I know you're all disappointed (sorry!) but don't worry there'll be more hot scenes like that.. Hehe. It's just that I cannot make myself write something so lemon for those two. Ya know Nanami's so pure and all. But I'll think about it. For the mean time I'll keep it down to semi-lemon.

Thank you for reading 'An Answered Prayer'. I hope you enjoyed!