'ASHIYA!' Itsuki's shout snapped him out of his trance and he fell backwards onto the tatami floor.

'Right now, I...' Ashiya started, confused. But as the fog cleared in his mind, his eyes grew wide in horror. He looked down in front of him to see the quivering form of his beloved Moja, who so obviously wanted to run away as far as possible, but was paralysed in absolute fear. Just like the time with Yahiko. Not able to bear the terror in Kedama's eyes, he slowly turned his face up to meet Itsuki's.

His face was the picture of worry. Where he had expected anger, disappointment and even sadness he had Itsuki's empathy. And that broke him even more.

Itsuki turned his attention from his employee to the poor trembling yokai at his feet. He picked Kedama is his arms, running his fingers through the fur to provide comfort the yokai so very much needed.

Sparing a glance at Ashiya, he walked to the side of the room.

'Mononokean, come.'

The familar rattle sounded, but he didn't have the heart to pull away the furball burrowing themself into the folds of his kimono.

One hand supporting the yokai on his chest, he crawled through and sat leaning on the wall by the alcove easing Kedama onto his lap.

The Mononokean's chime rang in the silence.

Itsuki?

He sighed.

^o^u^0^-^*^U^a^~^i^e^

I see. So that's what happened.

Itsuki noded mutely. Kedama had calmed down and fallen asleep in his arms.

'What do I do now, Mononokean.' He said, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

Although it wasn't a question in the first place, he waited for an answer, for it wasn't often that the Mononokean remained silent.

Receiving no reply, he gently placed Kedama in the alcove. 'Look after Kedama for me.'

As he made his way out, the familiar chime once again made him smile. He paused, placing a hand on the wall reassuring, taking and giving comfort at the same time. It was difficult to understand how such a simple and casual action could be so meaningful and intimate.

'Don't worry.' He said. 'They'll be fine.'

Ashiya was in the same place as before Itsuki had left the room. It need not be said that Ashiya was more terrified at everything that had happened than even Kedama.

At the sound of Itsuki entering, Ashiya looked up. Without a word from him, Itsuki said: 'Kedama will be fine.'

The implication, that right now, Kedama is not fine, may as well have rang through the air.

With a soft sigh, Itsuki sat down in front of the boy who looked ready to pull his hair our.

'Abeno-san...' Ashiya's voice trembled and broke as he spoke.

'Sit up.' Itsuki supported the boy as he lifted himself into a proper position. Ashiya looked at Itsuki's hand that lingered on his shoulder.

In the next moment, Itsuki started to find Ashiya sobbing into his lap with fistfuls of his kimono in his trembling hands.

For a few moments, he just stared down in shock, before relaxing and placing his hand on the frame of the shaking boy. He had little experience with humans. He had always thought of himself and been first, of the Mononokean, second, the Underworld, and last, the Mundane world.

He called himself the master of the Mononokean, but that was just a formality. The Mononokean was everything to him. Filled with all the memories he had - of growing up, of constant meetings and partings with yokai, of Aoi. The Mononokean was his family and home, and the one closest to him.

After the Mononokean, he would call himself a man of the Underworld. Fond memories of his childhood amongst the Legislator, Justice and the Executive, and the person he used to be back then. But even more importantly, the Underworld was the home of the yokai he held so dear. It was his second home, that he would protect with all he had.

His origin from the Mundane world was a fact, but he had sacrificed it for the sake of the other two. For him, yokai would come before any duty to human would, and he would keep it that way forever. It pained him to do so, but an unknown yokai would have to take priority over even Ashiya's life.

But for all he had said, Itsuki, as he gently pet Ashiya's hair, couldn't help but think that humans were not that different from yokai after all.

^o^u^0^-^*^U^a^~^i^e^

'That's enough, Ashiya. Don't cry anymore.'

When his sobs seemed to start dying down, Itsuki tilted his head with his rare exasperated smile.

'Really. How can you cry so much. You really were perfect for finding Mitsuchigura-dono's mask.'

A choked laugh escaped between the dying sobs.

Itsuki huffed, playing along. 'Could you not have cried so much then?'

'Sorry.' Here it was: that watery voice so typical of Ashiya. His head was still burried in Itsuki's lap, even though the cries had died away.

'Ashiya, are you asleep?'

A few moments of silence later a muffled voice was heard.

'Yes.'

Itsuki bit back an uncharacteristic laugh.

'Okay.'