Disclaimer: Nope. Not owning anything here even now.
He couldn't quite get a hold of his thoughts as he jumped up onto the roof and from there, vanishing into the forest behind the shrine. He was certain he would do something incredibly idiotic if he stayed around the shrine anymore; if he stayed around Nanami anymore.
Through the darkness of the trees, his frantic form disappeared.
'This scent…' His mind woke up as he smelt something familiar.
"Tomoe-sama, have you awoken yet?" A sickly sweet voice said from behind the shouji he could barely make out through his morning blurred vision.
The shouji opened and two kimono-clad tanuki women entered the room holding trays in their hands. It was the smell of food. He narrowed his eyes as he straightened up his form, sitting up and folding his legs.
He wasn't sure how he had ended up in the Red Light District of the Spirit World but he wouldn't object to the food that was now being placed in front of him. So he extended his hands towards the steamed bun in front of him and as he held it, it all dawned upon him.
'Fuck.' He was reminded of Nanami's body by the touch of the soft manjuu. He dropped the manjuu on the floor and got up to his feet, anger coursing through him as to why (of all the places) he ended up in this place.
He rushed out of the window without a warning with the Tanuki girls just calling out for him in worry behind him. He raced through the bright sun-lit streets and back into the forest.
"Damn you Nanami." He cursed under his breath, completely overtaken by his irritation towards his own actions of the night before. If only she hadn't been so easily inviting.
The slight throbbing of his head that was coming to his attention now proved that he had been drinking the night before. 'That was a smart move to pull, Tomoe.' He thought to himself.
He reached the shrine in a matter of minutes and went through the front door only to find the will-o'-whips and Mizuki having breakfast.
"Where is Nanami?" He growled, his fangs poking out.
"You stupid fox, what did you to Nanami-chan? She hasn't left her room at all since morning! She won't even have breakfast." Mizuki threw back, dropping his own breakfast and sulking about how Nanami refused to take breakfast even from him.
"I didn't do anything!" Tomoe yelled back and stomped away before anyone could say anymore.
'Why does everyone think everything is my fault?!' He was enraged by now.
He knew Nanami wouldn't open her door so he decided he'd face her from the window instead, his head still throbbing like a jack-hammer was unleashed on him.
"Nanami…" He whispered under his breath, his body frozen as he saw her sleeping form from the window.
Her window was wide open and she had her covers up till her stomach.
Tomoe stood frozen as the complete recollection of what had occurred the night before was regained. His eyes softened, watching the top three buttons of her shirt buttoned haphazardly and in the wrong slots, her face completely swollen and lids red.
He had been the reason that she was up all night crying. He knew full well.
Even if Nanami were awake right now, what would he possibly say to her? He wasn't even sure how to take the events of last night. He knew that Nanami had opened her arms for him. He knew that Nanami was the one who was waiting for him. But she didn't know how much he had been waiting for her. She had no idea of how much he wanted to not just have her, but completely devour her. And it was that Youkai instinct that he knew he had no rational control over.
He would always keep his distance to make sure his restraints were in check. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the one person he had spent several hundred years loving.
'But I still ended up hurting her…' He was in agony within himself, watching her in such a pitiful state.
4 days passed by and things at the Mikage Shrine progressed as they would always. The only difference was, Nanami had been going to school as per usual and Tomoe was nowhere to be seen.
Back from school, Nanami crashed on the tatami in the family room with her bag thrown at the front door with her shoes.
"Ah!" She sighed out loud, "I hate this demonic school routine."
"Nanami-chan, should I cut some watermelon for you?" Mizuki spoke in happiness, trying to somehow make Nanami's misery of school go away.
"Ah, thank you Mizuki! That would be appreciated." Nanami smiled, taking up the offer.
Mizuki ran out of the room happily to get the melon ready for Nanami and in the same while, Mikage walked into the room.
"Okaeri, Nanami-san. How was school today?" He asked in his forever kind tone.
"Nee, Mikage-san… You've known Tomoe for a very long time no?" Nanami spoke in a mellow, rather depressed tone, sitting up on her legs.
'My question was totally ignored.' Mikage laughed and nodded. "Longer than you have been born yet not at all in terms of the Spirit World."
"Why is he always… so held back?"
Mikage was quiet for a while before asking Nanami to at least explain her question.
"The Tomoe I got to know from the past was so much more free and expressive. He would share his pain, his happiness, his emotions were on his face. He was so much more alive… I understand that a lot of things happened – a lot of which I might never understand – but I wish Tomoe would let me in… He always keeps himself wrapped up in his graced demeanor and high and mighty pride."
And that conversation went from sorrow, to concern to anger. "Urgh, he pisses me off!"
Steam was coming out of her head and her fists were flying in the air pretending to somehow hit him.
Mikage just kept smiling and told Nanami to calm down and sit with him.
"Tomoe comes from a very different time and place than you, Nanami-chan. Not just that, no matter how you may see him, no matter how much you may love him really, he is still more than half a millennium old. And even if he now knows that you are alive and that the past was just a façade, that sorrow and those painful experiences that changed Tomoe cannot be taken away."
"But if he would just let me in… Now he's avoiding me. I haven't seen him in 4 days." Nanami sighed, already understanding and knowing what the Mikage was saying. "I'm certain he finds me ugly anyway."
"What would make you think such an absurd thing, Nanami-san? You're the girl he waited 500 years for."
She turned red thinking of how she could NEVER actually tell him what she meant. She knew the Mikage would disapprove anyway.
"Moreover, he already is letting you in, isn't he?" Mikage gestured, pointing to a white box on the floor at the corner of the room.
Nanami, bewildered, walked towards the box and opened it, sitting next to it on the mats.
There was a kimono inside, that was certain. But it was the most beautiful kimono she had ever laid her eyes on.
She held it up and out of the box, feeling the softness of the silk and admiring the print from close.
"This is from Tomoe?" She asked, her eyes lighting up as she hugged the cloth.
Mikage nodded and spoke, "For the Sakura Festival tonight."
Mizuki stood at the door, holding the watermelon plate in his hands and burning in jealousy, "I wanted Nanami-chan to wear something that I got her!"
"Thank you so much, Himemiko!" Nanami bowed her head and the hugged the small purple haired girl.
"It was not a problem for me to help such a beloved friend." Himemiko replied in her usual high pitched monotone voice, her eyes wide open as she hugged Nanami back.
'Its weird that I'm wearing a kimono on a festival when everyone else will be wearing yukatas but…' Nanami got conscious, looking at the long hanging sleeves of the multi-layered clothing, "Tomoe got this especially for me…"
"Nanami-san, Kotarou is waiting for me outside so I will go on ahead. Please take your time."
Nanami smiled and nodded, looking back into the full length mirror back and forth. It was truly a spectacular kimono. She felt cute on her own. She would definitely prove to Tomoe that she is pretty and worth the interest.
"Oh! Nanami-sama looks extra cute today, isn't that so Mikage-sama?" The will-o'-whisps chorused, flying around Nanami in her adorned silk.
"Indeed she does." Mikage agreed, folding his hands inside his sleeves while standing at Nanami's door.
"Nanami-chan always looks cute!" Mizuki fumed, his face turning red while he walked to the entrance door.
Nanami looked around while everyone put on their shoes and wondered, "Won't Tomoe be joining us?"
"Oh Nanami-chan, we best leave him to his devices! I'll escort you!" Mizuki seemed more than eager to replace the said fox.
"I'm afraid I have not been able to contact Tomoe, Nanami-san." Mikage explained, sliding the entrance door open to exit the shrine.
Her mind wouldn't allow her to go to the festivities without Tomoe especially since he was the one who gifted her such a spectacular present. 'There is no meaning to it if Tomoe won't even see me wear it.' Nanami sulked on the inside as she ran to the other side of the shrine, going to the Sakura tree that was planted in their backyard.
"Mikage-san, everyone, would you please go ahead without me? I'll go look for Tomoe. I'll be there very soon." She spoke as she waved at everyone and ran.
Mizuki moved to stop her when Mikage stopped him dead in his tracks instead.
"Let her. They need to figure things out on their own. If we don't go quickly, we might miss all the food!" Mikage changed the topic and dragged everyone out.
'Tomoe, if you touch a hair on that innocent girl's head, I will make it my personal mission to destroy you.' A thought crossed.
"Didn't it suddenly get cold?" Mizuki shivered, feeling the ill-wish emanating from the Mikage.
"Tomoe!" Nanami's voice rang through the backyard before she stepped into the forest.
"Tomoe please come back! If you don't, I'll keep running and my kimono will be ruined!" Nanami threatened while she treaded on her geta (wooden shoes) as careful as possible as to not fall flat on her face like she was usually prone to.
"Tch." She heard from behind and turned around to see a shadow standing on a large tree branch.
"No point if you just force me to come." He growled, turning his head away from the figure in front of him.
She knew what he had meant. She had been giving him his space, hoping he'd come back to her on his own. But clearly that wasn't working. So she decided to seek him out by the compulsion she had on him to obey her every command. He had to present himself when she beckoned and that was set in stone.
"Tomoe, won't you come to the festival with everyone?" Nanami asked, trying to make out his form in the pitch darkness.
No moonlight seemed to the reach the ground through the thick trees.
"No. I'm going to the Red Light District. You go on." He spoke, his voice calmer now.
A vein popped on Nanami's head when he mentioned the district. "T-Tomoe…" She bellowed in anger. "You have the nerve to still go there even when you have me?"
The air around them turned still. There was a silence between them so awkwardly dense that neither could breathe for a minute.
Nanami could feel the heat reach to the top of her head and she put both her hands on her mouth. 'What the hell did I just say?!' She mentally tried to strangle herself. 'I already decided to give up on all that after that stupid night! I know Tomoe just isn't interested in me like that! I have enough pride not to force him. urgh Stupid Nanami!'
Tomoe broke through the silence first knowing that Nanami had meant nothing but a jumble of words, "Baka Nanami, go to the festival. I do not feel like going. This forest isn't safe for you anyway. Go back." He said, his voice now as calm as ever.
Nanami just sighed, letting the last accidental comment get erased from her memory and just started walking back towards the Shrine.
"D-Did you just listen to what I asked?" Tomoe shuddered.
She had given up on asking more from their relationship. But she still wanted to at least go back to the way they were before."Hm. I did. I'm going back to the shrine. If Tomoe won't go, neither will I." Nanami smiled to herself, her hands clasped at her back.
"Go to the damn festival!" Tomoe yelled angrily through the darkness.
"No. I don't feel like it." Her calm voice was getting on Tomoe's nerves at this point.
She loved testing his patience and that was wearing mighty thin. She was mocking him now. How dare she.
'There is no other way to deal with you, Tomoe. I need to push you in everything.' Nanami thought, snickering at her plan to emotionally blackmail him into joining her in the festival. She knew it would work. It always did. And she was desperate to rid them of this agonizing distance between them.
But now she stood in the shrine, sub-consciously ending up in his room, her eyes brimming with tears.
"He didn't come…"
Just as a single tear escaped her eye, she heard footsteps land behind her.
She frantically turned around, her eyes wide in hope and filled with tears. "Tomoe?"
TBC