A\N: Okay! This is another fluffy one, kinda long, but it will lead into other stories related to this that are... sadly... not so fluffy. :( Also, Ghira has hot chocolate for the first time! YAY!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Shai!

"Oh no!" Ghirahim watched as Shai's horrified expression with a mix of amusement and confusion. "No, no, no!"

"What's the problem, skychild?"

"Naji! I don't have Naji! He's not here!"

Ghirahim cocked his head at the boy, lifting his face and inspecting his eyes. "Well, you don't appear to be ill or delusional."

"My stuffed wolf. I left him in Skyloft when I chased the butterfly. I have to have him, Master Ghirahim, I have to!"

Ghirahim shrugged, walking over to the fireplace and tossing a log in, as he had not yet taught Shai how to feed the fire and did not want to risk ash getting on his marvelous scarlet carpet. "I am not going back to Skyloft for many a year. Not until… well, never mind that. You will have to wait a while."

"No…" Shai shook his head, tears forming in his eyes. "I love him! He's my best friend, and I have to have him. I can't sleep without him!"

"Then what have you done the past four nights?"

"Had a lotta bad dreams…" Shai scuffed his foot on the floor, looking down while holding his hands behind his back, a pure look of innocence radiating from his body.

Ghirahim stopped for a moment. He couldn't deny the fact that the young demon had awoke screaming and in violent convulsions every night since his arrival, but was that honestly related to a toy? Hmm… the name Naji meant 'intimate companion'. Was that a coincidence, or was there more? Were humans that attached to objects they needed them to live comfortably?

"I'll think about it." He sat down by the fire, opening a novel to read.

"No, I need him now!"

"Even if I do decide to go get your precious dolly, I'm not leaving in the middle of the night." Ghirahim propped his book a little higher, straining to read in the dim light. "Turn on that lamp, Shai."

Shai jumped up and did as he was told before sitting back on the couch and staring sadly at the floor, tears welling in his eyes. The clock ticking was the only sound that broke the silence, other than Shai's occasional whimper—if it could be called that. It was obviously a ploy to get attention.

"Shai, that is enough. I told you I would think about it." Ghirahim turned from the printed pages to give the boy a stern stare, and upon the reluctant nod he received as a reply, he returned to his book.

"I want cocoa."

Ghirahim sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned the page. "Is that another one of your friends?"

"No…" Shai laid down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, a wistful look in his eyes. "It's a drink. A hot, steamy, chocolate drink of goodness. It's a slice of Heaven! But much better."

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow, but did not look away from his book. "Oh, really?"

"Yup!" Shai got sad again, sighing heavily as his little chest rose and fell. "But we don't have any cocoa mix…"

Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and a large tin filled with brown powder appeared on the coffee table. Shai gasped, jumping up and licking his finger before sticking it into the mix and then tasting it.

"Yup! That's hot cocoa!" He grabbed the tin and ran for the kitchen, shouting, "I'll go make some, Master Ghirahim! Thank you!"

Ghirahim nodded to himself, considering his magical solution to be a job well done. He had to admit he kind of liked the smile on Shai's face when he was happy. And that little giggle always warmed his heart and—No! Just. A. Slave. A cute slave that got what he wanted a lot, certainly, but it wasn't like he cared for the boy or anything.

"Master, would you like some, too?"

"Uh… I suppose…"

"Great!"

Ghirahim wondered what this drink tasted like, but knowing Shai, it would be something tangy. The boy seemed to have an unnatural addiction to tangy or sour or just plain weird things. Lemons, limes, sour apples, spiced drinks, pickles, green olives, black olives, apple cider, and even coffee. Oh, yes. The boy drank coffee.

"Here, Master!" Shai came in, carefully carrying two cups of hot chocolate over to the table and setting them gently on the coasters. "I, uh, I put whipped cream on without asking. Is that okay?"

Ghirahim nodded, picking up the drink and examining it before taking a hesitant sip. He surprised to find the beverage sweet and creamy, and in all honesty, he very much liked it. Setting the drink down, he smiled to Shai, who was still sipping.

"Very good."

Shai put his drink down and swallow, laughing while he pointed at Ghirahim's face.

Confused the demon asked, "What?"

"Master! You have a whipped cream mustache!"

Ghirahim cocked his head to the side, and then saw the white line tracing Shai's upper lip, and realized he must have had one just like it. He slowly ran his tongue over his lips, and Shai did the same, mimicking him almost perfectly.

"One day, you will be an excellent licker like me."

Shai giggled, throwing his hands up. "Yay! But… I won't have a really long tongue like you do."

Ghirahim chuckled softly, taking another sip and returning to his book. "That will change with time. Your tongue will grow along with the rest of your body, and so will your magic."

Shai nodded and continued to chug down his drink, finishing it off in less than five minutes. Ghirahim glanced at the clock and then stood up, placing a bookmark in his pages and setting the tome down on the armrest.

"Alright, clean up these cups and then it's off to bed."

Shai groaned, stomping his foot in frustration. "I don't wanna go to bed!"

"Well we must. If I'm going to get up early tomorrow morning and go all the way to Skyloft for your wolf than—"

Just like that, Shai was down the hall and in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and cleaning up for bed. Ghirahim stared at the empty space where he once was and laughed softly, picking up the cups and taking them to the sink.

"I keep forgetting how easy it is to manipulate children. They're so… trusting."

With those words, two sides of Ghirahim spiked simultaneously. His sadistic side was screaming 'Exploit that. He'll forgive you no matter what you do. He's at your complete and total disposal.' But his recently acquired—dare he say it?—human side was… touched and a little concerned at how vulnerable the slave really was. How careful Ghirahim had to be. Walking on glass not to lose his trust, not to hurt him, not to cherish him too much in case someday down the road Ghirahim had to leave him.

The two sides continued to war in his mind as he made his way to his bedroom, but a small voice stopped him short.

"And please protect my mommy and daddy up in the sky, and keep Naji safe until he's back with me."

Ghirahim approached the door, listening to the child's prayers with a mix of curiosity and fascination. "And thank you for giving me Master Ghirahim. I love him so much I could die! And please help me not to have bad dreams tonight. Amen."

Ghirahim covered his hand with his mouth and turned away from the door, leaning back against the wall as the lights in the young servant's bedroom went out. He shook his head slowly, staring down at the marble floors through blurred vision.

How can… How can a mere mortal of such small stature accomplish what I can't? How can he love someone who has taken everything away from him?

Shaking his head once more, he left the wall and retreated to his bedroom for the evening. He lay in the bed of satin, pondering the child's unquestioned devotion. Did he not know Ghirahim could kill him at any moment? Did he not know he was merely a toy? A tool even? Or… Or was it that the child was even more insightful than Ghirahim himself? That he could see past the lies Ghirahim told and into the feelings Ghirahim had been fighting since he'd made the child his own?

"I think I love you, Shai. And I honestly believe it will kill me."

A\N: And in the next chapter—Ghira loses his temper. BIG TIME. And a certain someone gets hurt both emotionally and physically. D: *does not want*