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1.
The winter before Kazuma asked Yato to make him a stray, he walked with Veena in the plaza, in the same spot where he would later get drunk and cry himself to sleep on the curb by the storefront. Snow fell in soft clumps from the nighttime sky, and Veena lifted her head, delighted. Kazuma smiled. In many ways, Veena was like a young girl, just as easily entranced by something as simple as the drifts of falling snow on the city, or how the plume of her breath billowed out into the cold, crisp air.
"It's so beautiful out here," Veena said, looking outward. She leaned heavily against his arm for warmth. "I forget how cold it can get in the Near Shore. It's always so warm in Takamagahara."
"Are you enjoying yourself, Veena?" Kazuma asked. Veena beamed at him.
"I am indeed."
Kazuma chuckled. She smiled and held his hand.
This wasn't a date, but it felt like one anyway, Veena stopping every so often to point at the interesting things in the storefront windows. Kazuma watched as the lights from inside the shops illuminated her face, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked at the different mannequins posed inside the store.
"Oh, Kazuma." Veena clutched his arm. "Look at that!" and she pulled him toward another storefront. A man was pulling noodles at the window, expertly stretching the dough and whipping it around like a cord, before chopping them up at the table.
"Hand-pulled noodles," Kazuma said. He glanced at Veena. "Do you want to try some?"
"May we?" Veena asked, and it struck Kazuma how slightly ridiculous it was, his goddess looking at him as if asking permission.
They sat at the counter. The soup was salty and warm, and every so often Veena would reach her chopsticks into Kazuma's bowl, plucking a piece of seaweed or pork that she'd already finished. Kazuma smiled. She giggled at him, bumping his arm.
Around them, other customers were blowing into their soup spoons, eating quietly. There was a couple at a two-top who were sharing a single bowl. Kazuma watched as the woman held up her chopsticks, bringing them up to the lips of the man.
"Oh Kazuma, they have pickled cabbages," Veena said, and with one sure motion she plucked out the piece from her bowl and held it up to Kazuma's lips. "Try this," she said.
Kazuma blushed. Tentatively, he leaned forward, carefully letting Veena give him a bite with her chopsticks.
"Good, right?" Veena said, smiling. Kazuma nodded.
"It is." Behind them, the couple laughed, the woman ducking and touching the man's arm.
They returned home. Veena thought nothing of Kazuma following her to the bedroom as she unceremoniously began to undress, slipping off her coat and her sweater and stepping on the other side of the room.
"Oh, Kazuma, will you help me unzip my dress?" She pulled back her hair, exposing the nape of her neck. Kazuma stepped behind her.
"Your skin is cold," Kazuma said, frowning. Veena tugged off the rest of her dress while he frowned at the goosebumps on her arms. "Let me light a fire while you get undressed."
"Oh, thank you, Kazuma," Veena said.
The fire stirred. Kazuma leaned back on his haunches away from the fireplace, glancing up as Veena stepped behind him.
They sat on the couch. Automatically Veena curled up beside him, leaning against his shoulder and drawing her knees to her chest.
"How many wishes do we have left?" Veena asked. She reached across his chest to grope at the stack of papers on the end table, pulling it to read.
"Oh, well for the most part they've already been sorted." Kazuma looked down as Veena repositioned herself comfortably leaning on his chest, using him as a sort of pillow to prop up the rest of her body. He cleared his throat, blinking. "There isn't much left to go over," he said.
She shuffled through their papers, leaning against him, and he saw a strand of hair fall over Veena's face as she bowed her head, reading. If they were together, he would brush the hair from her nape and press a kiss against her skin. They weren't, though, and so Kazuma forced his eyes back onto the stack of papers.
"Oh, Kazuma, look at this," Veena said, and she sat up, tapping him on the thigh. "I think this wish has been mis-sorted. I think Ookuninushi was supposed to get this."
"Let me see," Kazuma said, and Veena handed him the papers. She leaned forward to read with him, her hand on his thigh and her weight resting against him. "I think you're right. Would you like me to contact his lead?"
"In the morning. For now we can just let things be."
She smiled at him again, eyes soft and warm and trusting.
Kazuma smiled. He reached up to comb back a messy strand of hair, making Veena pull her head up as if to take a better look at him. Her forearms were resting on his chest and she was looking at him as if she would kiss him.
"Do you think we can outsource some of these to the Yatogami?" she asked, instead. Kazuma considered.
"I'm sure Yato would appreciate it," Kazuma said.
She took another stack of papers and settled back against his chest again.
A few hours passed. He had been sorting through his unanswered emails when he noticed the warmth of Veena's body hadn't moved; glancing down, he noticed she had fallen asleep tucked against his chest. He smiled and gently shook her.
"Eh?" She sat up. "Oh, my apologies. I didn't realize I was so tired."
"Let's get you to bed," Kazuma said, and he helped her up. His fingers closed over her hand and he couldn't help but notice how soft her skin was despite how often she handled her weapons.
"You are so comfortable, Kazuma, it's a shame you can't sleep with me."
"Sleep beside you," Kazuma said automatically. "'Sleep with me' would mean to have sex with you."
"Sleep beside me, then." Veena smiled. "Do you want to?"
"I'm afraid I can't," Kazuma said. "As you know, I don't sleep well when I sleep next to you. It might be better if we just stayed in our own rooms."
"Oh, my apologies, Kazuma, I had forgotten," Veena said. She smiled. "I suppose I'll just have to call Kinki, then."
"It would be better to sleep next to a lion," Kazuma said.
He went back to his room. Unlike Veena's, which had been warmed by the glow of the fire, his room was dark and cold. He curled up on his side and hugged a pillow to his chest, closing his eyes.
*****
2.
There was nothing to do today; there were no wishes to balance, no wars to oversee, and Bishamon stretched, smiling a little at one of her rare days off. She wandered around the gardens, smiling at her shinki who were kneeling in the flowerbeds, and relished the warm yellow sunlight that fell down in warm rays on her face.
Almost all her shinki were outside, enjoying the day; even Kazuma was out. She found him sitting under a tree, rubbing his eyes and thumbing through a stack of reports.
"What are you doing?" Bishamon said, and she sat beside him. Kazuma frowned and rubbed his temples.
"I'm going over the minutes of the last meeting," Kazuma said. "There are a number of things misattributed to you, which I need to amend."
Bishamon stretched, then rested her head on his lap. Without missing a beat, Kazuma rested his arm around her and stroked her hair absently.
The day was warm, Kazuma's lap was comfortable, and it felt nice, the way he was absently massaging her scalp. Even the slight sound of pages turning was soothing, and Bishamon drowsed, sleepily.
Birds chirped. Bishamon opened her eyes to see Kazuma smiling down at her. Their eyes met and he turned his gaze slightly, focusing back on the papers in front of him.
"Do you remember the old days?" Bishamon said. "We used to nap together in the fields."
"You used to nap," Kazuma corrected her. "Someone had to keep watch in case an ayakashi was nearby."
Was Kazuma smiling at her? It certainly felt like he was. He gently combed through her hair with his fingers, and she knew he wasn't reading his reports.
"It was nice," Bishamon said. She nestled against him, closing her eyes.
Once, during the old days, when everything was still raw and bruised and Bishamon was lonely, she had called for Kazuma to stay with her in her bed. Quietly he laid down next to her on the futon and she had scooted her body close to him, until he finally turned and held her against his chest. He felt warm and safe and good, and Bishamon remembered how comforting he was, holding her close and closing his eyes.
It was a nice feeling, being cared for.
*****
3.
They had finished her patrol and Veena had disengaged her shinki, and as Kazuma was heading out, she touched him on the arm.
"Kazuma," she said. "Will you walk with me?" And Kazuma nodded and followed her down the road.
The sun had set. He always thought it strange that the night would be considered less dangerous than the orange-red skies of the witching hour; Ayakashi still prowled about, and there was still the risk of getting blighted. Veena was dangerously unarmed.
"Veena, you should have one of the others here," Kazuma said. "You and I both know I will be unable to protect you."
"You can draw a line, can't you?" Veena smiled at him. "C'mon," Veena said. "I want to have a date with my exemplar."
"Veena--"
"If worse comes to worst, I'll call for someone else, but right now I'd rather it just be the two of us. I really don't want to. "
Kazuma sighed and shook his head. "If that is what you wish," he said, and he offered her his arm.
They went into a restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall ramen place Veena apparently had been keeping her eye on. "We always pass by here on our patrol," Veena said. She plucked a piece of pork with her chopsticks, thoughtfully. "I've been curious to try this."
Kazuma frowned over his ramen. Even without looking, he could sense the presence of ayakashi all around him: two just half a kilometer from the restaurant; one just thirty meters in front of them.
"You could at least pretend that you are enjoying yourself," Veena said.
"Forgive me," Kazuma said. "But there are no shrines nearby and the lateness of the hour makes me feel uneasy."
"Well then it's a good thing your master is a war god, Kazuma, otherwise you would be in trouble."
"My master is a war god with only an earring to protect her," Kazuma said.
Veena's mouth quirked. "Well I've heard that earring is quite capable," Veena said.
Kazuma blushed, and stared at his ramen.
They ate, paid, and left. The night was mild and the streets were quiet. The sky was a deep, dark blue.
"A storm is coming," Kazuma said. He squinted his eyes toward the horizon. "Veena, we need to hurry back. You are unarmed and a storm like this can be dangerous."
"Very well," Veena said. "How far are we from our shrine?"
"A little over ten kilometers. I suggest we take a taxi and then go the rest by foot." Veena's shrine was located in the woods, where no cars could access it. So long as they kept a low profile, Kazuma was confident they could make it to the shrine unscathed.
Veena squinted. "You think a taxi would notice us?"
"Let's hope so," Kazuma said, and he lifted his arm.
It took a few tries before Kazuma successfully flagged down a cab. They got in; he gave the driver directions toward the city's periphery.
"Hey," Kazuma said to the driver, who had pulled over to the side of a convenience store and flicked on his vacancy light. "You have customers in here."
"Oh!" The driver said. Evidently five minutes in the car was just long enough for the driver to have forgot. "My apologies! You two are just too quiet."
"That's okay. Just please take us to the city park. And hurry."
"Hai, hai," the driver said, and he flicked the light to 'occupied.'
It started to rain. The driver flipped on his windshield wipers. Rain sluiced down the angled glass, streaking the windows with the yellow reflections from the street lights above them. Kazuma could see a few ayakashi lumbering outside.
"Huh," the driver said. "It's a good thing you folks got here. I didn't think it was going to rain."
Kazuma glanced at Veena. They shared a look, then smiled at the driver.
"Yes," Veena said. "We are very lucky."
The windshield wipers slid back and forth, the rain drumming on the top of the car.
"So," the driver said. "You two on a date or something?"
"Uh-" Kazuma glanced at Veena for an answer.
"Yes," Veena said, smiling. Kazuma's heart flipped. "I decided to treat my coworker to dinner."
"That's nice," the driver said, and Kazuma felt his stomach sink at the descriptor of being just her coworker.
"Kazuma?" Veena gave him a worried glance. Of course she could feel that. Kazuma smiled.
"It's nothing," Kazuma said. He smiled reassuringly. "It's just nerves."
"It does look like a bad storm," Veena said. She turned back to look at the front windshield. Her eyes widened.
A phantom was straight in the path of the taxi.
"Stop here!" Kazuma said. He rapped on the partition. "Did you hear me? I said stop here!"
The taxi driver gave them a startled glance, then pulled off to the curb.
The rain fell down in harsh slants, and Kazuma and Veena ran to the nearest building, flattening themselves against the wall. Kazuma squinted his eyes. They couldn't take shelter inside the building, the phantom could pass through the wall.
"This is bad," Veena said. Her hair whipped like long cords. "Ugh. I'd really rather not drag the others into this. Kazuma, are there any souls nearby?"
"I don't see any," Kazuma said. Air raid sirens were going off; the humans were hiding in their homes.
"Kazuma," Veena said. "I need you to stay as a human for me. We'll barricade against one of these buildings and you can draw a line."
"Understood," Kazuma said, and he scanned the city for a suitable place to hide.
The storm swirled. Kazuma's eye glinted. "Veena, over here!" Kazuma said, and they ran toward one of Tenjin's shrines.
*****
"It's a good thing Lord Tenjin is so popular," Veena said. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Kazuma peered out of the temple.
"We're trapped until morning," Kazuma said. He knelt beside Veena, rubbing his arms. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Veena said. "This is a bad storm. I wish there were something I could do about it. I suppose this is why I should listen to you."
Kazuma stared at his hands and didn't say anything. Veena leaned against the wall, holding her arms.
"At the very least, we can spend more time together," Veena said. Kazuma looked up, surprised. Veena smiled.
Kazuma pulled his knees to his chest and smiled, despite himself. She said she wanted to spend time with him. They had been together for centuries, but she still had that effect on him.
"Kazuma, are you cold?" Veena said. "Kazuma you're shivering."
"It's okay. I'm fine." Actually, his clothes were wet and sticking to his skin. Wordlessly, Veena began taking off her jacket.
"Veena?"
"My jacket is waterproof. Take off your coat and put this on."
"But then you'll be cold," Kazuma said. Veena waved her hand.
"I'm a god. I don't feel the cold like you do." But Kazuma could see the gooseflesh rising on her bare arms.
Kazuma considered his options. He could insist she take back her coat, but Veena was as bull-headed as she was kind, and the likely outcome would be that neither of them would wear it; he could take her coat and let his goddess freeze, which was patently unacceptable, besides the fact that he would probably sting her in the process; or they could huddle together for warmth. He would be lying to himself if he said that third option didn't have its appeal, but he would be nothing but trash if he took advantage like that.
Kazuma sighed. There was only one thing he could do.
"Veena," Kazuma said. "Call my name."
"Eh?" Veena looked at him.
"I won't be cold if I take the form of your earring, and you can still wear your jacket."
"Oh!" Veena smiled. "Kazuma, there's a reason why you're my guide! Chouki." And Kazuma slipped into her ear.
The white backdrop of Veena's mind gave him instant warmth. Every time he took his chouki form, it was as if Veena's life force enveloped him, cocooning him from the rest of the world. He wondered if the other shinki felt like this, or if it was just him.
"How are you feeling, Kazuma?"
"Better," Kazuma said. The earring glinted. "Your ear is nice and warm."
Veena laughed, delighted, and reached a hand to gently rub the earring between her thumb and forefinger.
"You know, if you were human, we'd have to huddle for warmth," Veena said.
"I suppose it is a good thing I'm your shinki, then."
"I wouldn't mind," Veena said. She rested her elbows on her knees and looked out into the storm, quietly. "You wanted to, didn't you?"
In the white backdrop, Kazuma's eyes widened.
"Return, Kazu," Veena said, and Kazuma appeared beside her. All at once, Veena leaned against him, linking her arm around his and pulling him closer.
"Veena, my clothes are wet, I'll just make you colder--"
But she slid her hands around his waist and huddled close, draping her coat around the both of them.
Kazuma's face cracked into a blush. "Veena."
She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Humans are so warm."