Sakura and Tomoe couldn't decide who looked more shocked by their announcement: Atomu or Nanami. Both gods just stared at the duo, completely frozen as their minds attempted to process what they had just been told.

"Wait, let me get this straight: you two are together now?!" Nanami exclaimed, the paralysis spell finally wearing off.

Tomoe flinched slightly as a loud ringing echoed in his ears. "Yes, that is correct."

"And he didn't blackmail you into this by threatening to kill someone or something, did he?" Nanami asked Sakura suspiciously.

Sakura chuckled and shook her head. "No, nothing like that."

Nanami's frown deepened as she glanced back and forth between the two familiars, sending waves of unease coursing through both of them. Then, with a loud squeal, the goddess suddenly broke into a smile and threw herself across the table, wrapping Sakura in Tomoe in a tight hug. The two foxes both yelped in surprise and started to squirm, struggling to escape the girl's iron grasp.

"Finally! I've been quietly shipping you guys for so long! I knew if you could just stop fighting for two seconds that you would realize you two are perfect for one another!" Nanami gushed excitedly.

"Y-You're not mad at me?" Tomoe asked, surprised.

"Oh, I'm still mad at you, but if Sakura is able to forgive you then so can I. Aw, you guys are going to be so cute together!" Nanami babbled.

Sakura flashed Nanami a weak smile before turning her attention to Atomu, who had remained eerily silent this entire time. A frown graced the redhead's lips as she managed to slip free from Nanami's hold and kneel by her brother's side.

"Atomu?" she softly called out to him, quietly begging him to look at her.

"Is this what you want?" Atomu asked sternly as he gingerly took his sister's hands in his own. After receiving a nod of confirmation from her, he turned his gaze to Tomoe. "And you want her as well?"

Tomoe nodded and bowed meekly before Atomu, his face so low that it was practically touching the demigod's shoe. "You have every right to be angry with me, your lordship, but if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I shall cherish your sister closely and love her wholeheartedly."

"That's a pretty lofty claim. Are you sure you can fulfill it?" Atomu mused.

"If I can't then I don't deserve to be the familiar of a matchmaking goddess." Tomoe stated firmly in reply.

"Tomoe, I think you're being a bit overdramatic..." Nanami mumbled as she glanced back and forth between her familiar and Atomu.

After scowling down at Tomoe for a moment longer, Atomu started to smile and released a sigh.

"You're quite serious about this, aren't you? I'm sure that even if I didn't approve of you that I wouldn't be able to keep you and Sakura apart." he chuckled, his laughter dispersing the dark clouds that had gathered over the room. "Just to be clear, if you ever pull a stunt like last night again, I will skewer you with a stalagmite, are we clear?"

Tomoe's shoulders relaxed as a weary smile appeared on his face. "Yes, of course. Thank you for extending me your grace and favour, Atomu."

"Just keep my sister happy, alright? Otherwise I'll make you regret the day you were ever born."

"I understand."

Sakura sighed in relief as the tension in the air disappeared and placed an affectionate kiss on Tomoe's cheek, a smirk on her lips. "I told you not to worry."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Tomoe muttered, rolling his eyes and he playfully nudged the vixen in the ribs with his elbow. Rising to his feet, he said, "I have to go finish the lawn work. Come give me a hand once you finish with the breakfast dishes. Oh, and Sakura?"

"Yes, Tomoe?"

Smirking like the Cheshire Cat, Tomoe leaned in close and blew on his girlfriend's ear before whispering in a husky voice. "I love you."

Sakura's face immediately turned as red as her hair and she began to blubber and sputter incoherently. "C-Copycat! Come up with something original!"

"Hmm, alright." Tomoe smirked, grabbing Sakura by the arm and pulling her to his chest. Rubbing his nose along the crook of her neck, he murmured in a hypnotic tone. "I'll tell it to you later."

Sakura blinked as Tomoe abruptly pulled away and scurried out of the room, leaving her in a state of shock. When her mind finally caught up with her, the vixen's face turned bright scarlet and she angrily stomped her foot as smoke poured from her ears.

"Tomoe! You get back here this instant!" she exclaimed, causing Atomu to chuckle and shake his head while Nanami silently fangirled.

----------------------------

After surveying the yard, Tomoe quickly made his way over to the gardening shed at the back of the shrine and began to look around for what he would need. However, he immediately went stiff when the creak of a floorboard followed by the clank of something being knocked off of one of the shed's many shelves.

"Who's there?" he growled, igniting some foxfire in his hand.

When no answer came, Tomoe spun around on his heels and hurled the fireball, but it flew harmless through the shack and out the door without hitting so much as a fly. Eyes narrowing, Tomoe swiveled his ears this way and that, listening carefully for any signs of life in the shack other than his own. Hearing a faint heartbeat behind him, he twisted around and swiped with his claws but some invisible force grabbed him by the wrist and held him fast. Before he could pull away, something wrapped around Tomoe's neck, squeezing tightly as his lungs burned for oxygen and his legs started to wobble. As he fell to his knees, a familiar laugh echoed throughout the shed, making his skin crawl.

"Not...possible...How are you still alive?" Tomoe grunted as he clawed at the invisible bond around his neck.

Another chuckle answered him.

"What's wrong, mighty fox? Can't break free?" the chameleon yokai purred as she slowly grew more visible. Tomoe nearly gasped when he beheld her face, which was now marred by a massive burn mark.

"Hideous, isn't it? For someone so weak and cowardly, that little vixen does pack a punch. Once I finish you off I plan on paying her back in full. What do you think is a more fitting punishment: severing all of her fingers and toes one by one or gouging out her eyes and cutting off her tail?" the sinister female sneered as she approached the shed doors and slammed them shut, bathing her and Tomoe in darkness.

"You...Don't you touch her!" Tomoe snarled, swiping at the chameleon as best he could with his head spinning in circles and his vision starting to go blurry from lack of oxygen.

"Or what? What will you do?" the chameleon sneered, her eyes sparkling. "Wait, I know what I'll do. Before I gouge out her eyes and tear her limb from limb, I'll drop your severed head in that vixen's lap so the last thing she sees is your lifeless face-"

Suddenly, the doors to the shed were thrown open and balls of pink fire soared straight for the chameleon, burning her tail. Screeching in pain, the she-beast leaped back, discarding Tomoe on the floor, and camouflaged herself once more. Meanwhile, Sakura ran into the shed without a moment's hesitation and scooped Tomoe into her lap as he gasped hungrily for air.

"Tomoe! Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes full of worry.

"Go...You need to go before-" Tomoe grunted but before he could finish, the doors to the shed swung closed again and one of the large shelves toppled down in front of it, sealing the exit. Growling, Tomoe pulled Sakura protectively behind him as his kitsubeni ignited and floated above his head to serve as a lantern. Likewise, Sakura pressed her back to Tomoe's and summoned forth her own lantern while her other senses sharpened, watching, listening, smelling, and feeling for any sign of the chameleon. Hearing the sound of running feet off to her right, she shot a ball of flames in that direction but apparently missed because a few seconds later she received a sharp blow to the gut, knocking the wind out of her lungs. As Sakura fell, the chameleon leaped onto Tomoe's back, slashing at his throat with her claws, but Tomoe hastily deflected her attack and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her over his shoulder. Twisting in his grasp, the chameleon kicked Tomoe in the gut as well and ripped free from his back, vaulting away and landing on one of the top shelves a few feet away.

"Not bad. You've improved. However, you still suck." she sneered as she disappeared again, her laughter filling Sakura and Tomoe's ears. Sakura yelped in surprise when something sharp ripped a gash in her cheek, just barely missing her eye. Next, something grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked down on it, throwing her off balance. However, as her opponent came in for a third blow, she sensed her motion and kicked, landing a blow on the chameleon's side that sent her skidding across the floor. Hissing angrily, the chameleon lunged at Sakura when something, or rather someone, caught hold of her tail. With a heavy grunt, Tomoe hurled her into a wall with all his might, splintering a few of the boards in the process. Before the woman could recover, Sakura grabbed her by the throat and pinned her down, her green eyes sparkling with rage. Snarling, her opponent tried to lash out with her tail but Tomoe hastily stepped down on it as he glared daggers at the woman.

"Don't even think about it." he snapped.

"Tomoe, go get Nanami and the others. I'll keep her here." Sakura stated, clenching her jaw as the woman squirmed beneath her.

Racing over to the blocked entrance of the shed, Tomoe grabbed the downed shelf and lifted with all his might, shoving it aside with a grunt. Throwing open the doors, he squinted his eyes as the sun bathed him in its warm light and walked forward only to collide with someone standing in front of him. Grumbling under his breath, the fox shielded his eyes with his hand and peered at his roadblock till his eyes adjusted.

"Mizuki? Why are you all red?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Mizuki just stared mutely at Tomoe, his eyes wide as saucers.

"What?! Why are you staring at me like that?!" Tomoe barked.

"You...and Sakura....were you just...."

Tomoe scowled at Mizuki and raised an eyebrow. "What? What is it? Spit it out already!"

"In the shed....did you two just...."

Tomoe continued to scowl at the snake till something clicked in his head. Immediately, his frown disappeared as his face turned bright red.

"No, you idiot! We weren't doing that! Why would you even think that?!" Tomoe shrieked, his embarrassment making him even angrier.

"I-I don't know! I just heard you and Sakura were together, so when I saw her enter the shed and then I heard all of the noise coming from inside, my mind automatically jumped to that! It's not like you can blame me though, especially not when you just crawled out of there looking a disheveled!" Mizuki exclaimed in reply, burying his own flushed face in his hands.

Rolling his eyes, Tomoe brushed past Mizuki and stormed towards the house, "Look, you just stay here and watch the shed. If anything or anyone other than Sakura comes running out of there, attack and make lots of noise; that shouldn't be a hard job for you."

"O-Okay....Hey, wait a second!"

Ignoring the snake's angry shrieks of protest, Tomoe raced inside, weaving down the many hallways of the shrine till he found Atomu, Nanami, and Hiromi all playing cards in the livingroom area. As her familiar burst into the room, Nanami was so startled that she dropped all of her cards in a messy pile. Realizing what she had done, the goddess groaned and shot Tomoe a glare.

"Tomoe, look what you did! I was about to win!" she whined, sticking out her bottom lip in a rather childish pout. However, her demeanor changed when she noticed the look of distress in the fox's eyes. "Tomoe, what's wrong?"

"That chameleon woman that tried to kill us at Lady Yonomori shrine is back." Tomoe stated.

Hiromi immediately dropped her cards, her eyes wide with fear. Atomu noticed her panic and quickly reached out a hand to steady her.

"Don't worry, Hiromi. You're safe, I promise. Tomoe, are you sure it's her?" Atomu asked.

"Yes. She attacked Sakura and I while we were working in the shed." Tomoe stated. When he noticed the knowing smile Nanami was giving him, his cheeks turned scarlet again and he shouted, "Stop giving me that look! You're as bad as Mizuki!"

"Tomoe, where is she now?" Atomu asked, rising to his feet.

"Sakura has her pinned down in the shed with Mizuki guarding the door."

Suddenly, a lot crash echoed from outside followed by a loud shrieking.

"Tomoe! We have a problem!" Mizuki shouted.

Cursing under his breath, Tomoe sprinted back out the way he came, calling to the gods and the peahen over his shoulder, "One of you, call that darn tengu and get him over here now!"

Nearly breaking down the door in his haste, Tomoe ran outside to see Sakura and Mizuki struggling to pin the chameleon down in the grass as she thrashed about. Judging by the blood dripping down the side of Sakura's face and the splintered wood on the ground, he guessed that the two had tumbled through a wall in the shed. That meant more for him to clean up later. He would have to be sure to thank their visitor for that.

Suddenly, the yokai managed to wrench one arm free and grabbed hold of Sakura's large ear, digging her nails into the soft fresh.

"If I can't kill you, then this will have to do for now." she snarled, ripping off a large chunk from the vixen's ear and causing her to scream in pain.

For a few seconds, everything around Tomoe became a blur as an inhuman roar left his throat, and when the world finally came back into focus, Sakura was huddled in his lap and the chameleon was lying unconscious on the ground. Snarling, Tomoe scooped Sakura up in his arms, holding her close as she whimpered and clutched her ear tightly in her hand as it gushed crimson blood; meanwhile, Mizuki summoned one of his snakes and ordered it to coil up around the invader.

"I"ll hold her here for now. You go treat Sakura's wound." Mizuki stated seriously.

"Thank you." Tomoe grunted.

As he walked, Tomoe gently nuzzled the top of Sakura's head with his nose, squeezing her hand and whispering sweet encouragements in her other ear. Heading to his room, he gently set Sakura down on his mattress and began rummaging through his drawers till he found a medical kit. Grabbing some disinfectant, he dumped a little of the liquid onto a cloth then crouched down in front of Sakura. However, when he tried to the move the vixen's hands away, she gently kicked him away with her foot as he grip on her ear tightened.

"Sakura, I need to treat your wound or it'll get infected. I'll be as quick as I can, I promise." Tomoe stated in the gentle tone he had grown accustomed to using around the redhead.

Clenching her jaw, Sakura slowly lowered her bloodstained hands to rest in her lap while Tomoe tenderly cradled her injured ear in one hand.

"This is going to sting. If it becomes too much for you to bear, squeeze my arm and I'll give you a break, okay?" he cooed before gingerly pressing the cloth down on the wound.

Sakura bit her tongue to keep from screaming out in pain as her wound throbbed and dug her nails into the mattress. However, she didn't try to reach for Tomoe's arm; instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on keeping her breathing steady. After what felt like an eternity and also a couple seconds at the same time, the stinging subsided slightly and something soft with wrapped around Sakura's ear.

"There, it's all done." Tomoe whispered as he set the now bloody rag aside and proceeded to wipe away the tears streaming down Sakura's cheek. Pulling the girl into his lap, he cradled her close and peppered her face with kisses till her crying had reduced to sniffles.

"I'm so weak and pathetic. I haven't improved at all." Sakura thought to herself as Tomoe's heartbeat pulsed against her cheek, her lip quivering dangerously as another wave of tears came on. However, just as the salty waterfalls threatened to spill down her face again, Tomoe said something that completely caught her offguard.

"You did well today. I owe you my life." he muttered, running his fingers lovingly through her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"Yeah right. I was just as pathetic as last time; my ear can attest to that." Sakura grumbled bitterly in reply.

Frowning, Tomoe adjusted Sakura grip on his lap then gently started to push down the collar of his robe. Sakura's face turned beet red as she hurriedly looked away, her heart hammering so loudly she swore the entire world could hear it.

"Sakura, look at me. I want to show you something."

"I-I'm good. Thanks."

"Sakura, just look."

Mentally screeching, Sakura slowly turned around to see Tomoe sitting barechested before her. However, rather than his toned body and muscles, the vixen's eyes were drawn to the scar that stretched from his right hip to just under his left arm.

"...Where did you get that?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I can't remember exactly. All I know is it was one of many that I received but also one of few that did not heal." Tomoe stated as he shrugged the top half of his robe back on. Sakura just scowled and stared at her hands.

"At least you can cover yours. Mine is where everyone can see it." she griped.

"So? You should wear it proudly. I honestly think it makes you look tough." Tomoe purred.

"But I don't want to look tough! I want to look pretty!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Who says you can't be both? I certainly think you're both."

"Then you need to get your eyes checked."

"Or I could see something that you don't."

"Like what?"

Smiling, Tomoe gently ran his fingers along the bandage, a loving smile on his lips. "I see beauty."

Sakura sighed loudly as rose to her feet. "Whatever. I'm going to go wash up."

As he watched her go, Tomoe's smile disappeared as his hands clenched into fists. Jirou probably wouldn't arrive for a while longer, so in the meantime he was going to give that wretched chameleon an earful.