Thank you so much for your reviews and favorites even though I haven't updated in more than six months. Your support means so much to me! Thank you especially to Miss Joujou for their review, because it's what inspired me to update. And thank you, everyone, who has ever reviewed my story, because I went through all five pages of your reviews and your love and appreciation for this story is what drives me.

That being said, it's been a busy year. I've fallen into the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL fandom, and I have made many wonderful friends. If you have a twitter, please follow me octomaidly, because I'm extremely active on there! I would love some friends to talk to about Kamisama Hajimemashita. ;u;

(it might make me update faster)

In the Storm

The lightning rumbles a little too loud, and Nanami jumps again.

She's huddled against the side of the wall, shivering and shaking, a blanket wrapped around her so tightly that one would think it is a lifeline. The world outside her room flashes and shudders and groans so loudly that Nanami cannot sleep in her futon.

Slam!

She jumps once more, but this time it's not from the outside.

"What the hell, woman," Akura-Ou lazily lounges in her doorway, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and blinking when he realizes that she's not in her bed. "You reek of fear. Not to mention you're shaking the walls with your jumping."

"A-Akura... Ou..." she exhales slowly, and he blinks again as her eyes soften. She's happy to see him?

"What is scaring you so badly? I'll kill it."

The thunder cracks, and Nanami returns to huddle under her blankets.

"Hey-woman-!"

Akura-Ou strides over and grabs the sheets, and then rips them off of her person. Nanami squeaks.

"N-No, it's... scary... outside..." she whispers as her eyes flicker over to the windows. "The lightning..."

He raises an eyebrow at that, as he could never see anything frightening about the lightning during a storm. Humans.

"Whatever, it'll be over soon," he rolls his eyes and throws the blankets back to the futon. "Go to sleep. Your fear is permeating the castle and I hate it."

He turns around and moves to leave, but a hand grabs his wrist. He blinks once more and looks at Nanami.

"Don't go," she pleads. "S-Stay. P-Please?"

He opens his mouth to reject her foolish proposal, because he needs sleep too, but her eyes plead and beg, and her trembling hands holding his wrist are pale and weak. Some part of him stirs, the more animalistic part, and it takes a hold of him so quickly he doesn't even see it coming. He reacts without thinking, and suddenly he's holding Nanami in his arms, running fingers through her hair like some comforting gesture, and she melts.

"Oi, Nanami-"

"Thank you..." she says gently, serenely.

And he just sits there, holding her against his chest, inhaling the scent of her diminishing fear and the feeling of her warmth against his and, yeah, okay. He can stay.

For her.

(anything for her)