Suddenly on a Leash (1)

Chapter five

Reluctantly, I was dragged all the way out of the town by the leash, which was still hanging annoyingly around my neck, all the way out to the WOODS, my shoulders slumping in defeat. This totally blows...
"That's not very nice, Cocoa."
"Will you PLEASE quit calling me Cocoa?!"
"I'm your master, I'll call you what I want."
"Ayano. It's AYANO."
"Whatever."
I rolled my eyes.
Boy, this guy was a pain in the neck... Was I really going to have to LIVE with him??
"By the way," I asked, "How long does this last...?"

"Until I get tired of you."

"What?! When will that be?!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Could be forever."

"Why are you doing this...?! You could've just let me pay you or something!"

"I told you, I don't want money. I already get enough."
I paused for a beat, letting his words sit.
"You have a job..?"

"No, I live at a shrine."

"A shrine...?"
I snapped my fingers. It just hit me!
"OH! THATS how I know your name! You're the god in that shrine...! I used to pray there all the time!"

"... I know..."

I couldn't believe it! All this time, this guy was the god from the shrine I've prayed at since I was little! Up until a couple years ago, I prayed there every birthday and sometimes just whenever I had some pocket money. This... This was him...!
"You know?"
Sora nodded his head, looking away from me. "Mm... I remember you.."
I stared at him, seeming to really look at him for the first time.
He's been with me through my childhood all along...?
Sora ...
I gasped a little when I was tugged at the leash.
"C'mon. We're almost there."
He started off again, still avoiding looking at me. It caught me entirely by surprise. Sora...?

•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•

Before long, we'd reached a break in the trees, where we came across a cozy, all-too-familiar looking, solitary wooden shrine, sitting quietly in the clearing.
It almost brought a tear to my eye. It was just how I'd remembered it to be...
"Say, Sora," I started, not looking away from the shrine. "If you're taking me to live with you here..." I turned to meet his gaze. "Does that make me your familiar...?"
He nodded his head once.
"But... We haven't sealed the contract yet."

"The contract? Wasn't that this collar thingy...?"

"Nope. I lied."

"Huh? But y---"

I couldn't even finish talking as Sora came dangerously close to me, and before I'd even realized it, our lips were touching.