Narugami walked home under growing storm clouds. Thanks to Frey they had both been fired. He hated to tell Arashiko. Not that she'd be disappointed in him. To the contrary, she'd listen sympathetically to the whole horrible story and fix him his favorite dinner. Then she'd stroke his hair and tell him it was all for the best and he'd find a better job tomorrow. He smiled. Yeah, it wasn't so bad after all. He reached for the doorknob and paused.

Voices? He went in.

Arashiko and Heimdall sat opposite each other across the coffee table, a game board in front of them.

"Hey, you're early." She smiled at him and turned her attention quickly back to the game. "We're playing Go, I'm going to beat him this time."

"Uh-huh." Trust Arashiko to think she could beat the god of tactics in a game of strategy. Narugami sighed. That was right, Thursdays were the evenings Heimdall visited while he worked late.

"Is there anything for dinner?"

"No, I didn't expect you home. You want something?"

Yeah, for Heimdall to go home. "Never mind." He grumbled and got a carton of ramen down from the cabinet and turned on the burner on the stove to heat water.

"Meowww?"

He looked down at the cat that had wound itself around his leg.

"Did you feed Thalfi?"

"Not yet."

Narugami got down a can of cat food as well, opened it and spooned it into the cat's bowl. Watching it eat he leaned against the stove with one hand.

"OUCH!"

"Some one came home cranky." Heimdall whispered as he casually placed the winning Go stone.

"Hmm. You should have seen him when he caught me using that wooden sword of his to beat the carpets. One more game?"

An hour later Narugami heard the front door close. Having finished his less than comforting ramen he had made a pitiful example of himself by pretending to fall asleep, resting on his folded arms at the kitchen table. He listened to her footsteps as she put away the game and books they had been looking at before wandering into the kitchen.

"Oh poor thing." She said softly. "Nobody gives you any attention at all. You want somebody to rub your head?"

That was more like it. Nothing happened. He peeked out. Arashiko stood by the sink holding Thalfi and scratching his ears while the cat purred ecstatically. Narugami stood up. Frey was right, there was only so much a god could take in one evening.

"I thought you were asleep. Still hungry?"

"No. I think I'll just, uh, go to bed." He looked a little hopeful, but she had turned her back and set the cat down.

"Okay, I'm going to wash up in here. Good night."

"Good night." He sighed.