Hello~ I'm back with a new story on Noragami! I can't get enough of this fandom.
PS: I officially have a tumblr blog (Yay!) under the name of Hydra no Mago, blog name Kami-sama desu. Please check it out~!
Stained
These hand are stained with blood.
They are covered in hot, burning, red liquid.
They are dirtied with the blood of life of others.
They are stained.
And I love it.
~.~.~.~
"Fast, worry-less and reliable, it's Yato~!" I nodded my head in anticipation for the new job. "Hai, hai, a pet problem~! I understand! I'll get it done for you immediately~!" I clicked the stop button on the old phone, putting an end to the caller's screech.
"Come on Yukine! We've got a job~!" I said with as much enthusiasm as possible, even though I didn't like dogs very much. I mean they're big, burly and stupid compared to their feline counterparts. And much furrier.
Yukine is my new shinki. He's caused me quite a lot of problems in the past (and will continue to do so I suppose) but he's a good one. Sekki's blade is clean, pure and sharp. It is one of my most reliable shinkis ever, I trust Sekki like no other. Like the person he is.
He groans in protest, his head drooping, covering his beautifully painted sunset eyes. His blonde hair ruffles in the wind and I see him pulling his jacket tighter around himself. "What odd job is it now? We've been getting them non-stop today." He sniffled as the cold wind blew against us harder. And for a moment, I wished that I could hold him in my embrace to keep him warm.
"Aww, don't be such a buzzkill Yukine~! More jobs means more money~! And more money means that we can get our new shrine faster~!" I wonder when did it start? When did I start referring it to 'our' shrine rather than 'my' shrine? When did I start wanting to hug Yukine with these stained hands?
My shinki grumbled under his breath, clearly irritated. He didn't want to go on these jobs with a worthless master like me. All shinkis want better lives. Lives in which they can serve a good master and need not worry about earthly things anymore. Lives which they can enjoy.
Unfortunately, I'm not that good of a master.
Crouching a little so that I could meet my ocean blue eyes to his sunset orange ones, I grinned widely. "I promise I'll treat you to something good today~!" I knew that he could not resist. After all, what better day to end the day with a stomach full of good food? Maybe some beer then.
His eyes widened at my offer and a smile was slowly creeping up his face, as much as he tried to hide it. "F-fine." he gave in and crossed his arms, creating a barrier between us. His cheeks were tinted with pink, probably from the cold.
"Hehe~! Then let's go Yukine~!"
~.~.~.~
It was warm.
The red liquid running down my hands were warm.
I could even feel some of the warmth on my face.
It was sticky too, and it slowed my movements.
I flung my blade in the air to rid it of the warm and sticky liquid.
It was warm and sticky, but it was also dirty.
It stank and it tasted of metal when it splattered into my mouth.
It was warm.
So very warm.
~.~.~.~
Sometimes I wonder if Yukine really hates me.
I think he does.
I think he really does.
That dog had been a pain in the neck, literally. It was big and furry, slobbering all over the place. And the place it loved most was the back of my neck. The furry mutt would climb atop of me and rest his stinky paws on my shoulders. The licking begins.
It was more than a horrendous experience. It was a funny show for Yukine.
The kid kept on laughing and laughing, tears coming out of his eyes as he clutched his stomach to stop the pain. His laughter was bright, cheerful. On a dull, rainy day like this, his laughter echoed as it bounced off the walls of the house, creating a never-ending loop of that beautiful sound.
Even as I had that stupid mutt on my back, sniffing and licking me, the chime of his laugh soothed some of my nerves. I slid my eyes over to where my shinki stood, and as soon as our eyes had met, his laughter was abruptly ceased. He avoided my gaze and turned his head away.
A little something within my soul cracked inside.
Now I think I know the kid really hates me.
~.~.~.~
Do I want this?
Do I really want this?
I've been granting wishes.
The wishes of people.
I've been granting the wishes of those who come to me for help.
The blood that stains my hands.
I've been helping them, helping those who suffer.
Victims suffer at my hands.
The wishes, I grant them all.
I kill whoever is in my way.
Do I want this?
I'm a god.
Do I want this?
I grant wishes.
Do I have a choice?
I'm a god of calamity.
~.~.~.~
"...-to..."
Do I have a choice?
"...Yato..."
Can I change the way I am?
"Yato!"
Can I atone for staining these hands?
"Oi! Yato! Get a hold of yourself! Yato!"
I opened my eyes to see bright orange ones staring back at me, worry evident in those usually playful pools of sunset.
"Yato! Are you alright?" A strained voice, a hand coming up to my forehead. "You don't seem like you're having a fever of the sort."
I couldn't help it. I laughed. My laughter startled the shinki in front of me, causing him to blush a lovely shade of pink.
"What the hell's so funny?!" he shouted at me, demanding an answer.
I couldn't really stop. He looked too adorable. "Hahaha... Gods...hahah... Gods don't get sick like humans, Yukine." I tried to take in deep breaths to calm my laughter. It was comical for him to worry if I had an upcoming fever, and I was quite touched by his concern at the same time.
He huffed angrily at me, averting his gaze from mine. "Well,... excuse me for caring!"
Yeah, excuse him. But what was this feeling of impending doom? Something in my recent dream told me to be careful, told me to be more alert. Yet, there was a sadness in it. My sadness, I suppose. The sadness of being a god of calamity who had stained these very hands with bucket-loads of blood before.
Yukine looked hesitantly to me. "Yato?.."
"Hmm~? What is it, Yukine-kun~?" I had to look cheerful. I could not make him worry. He is my shinki after all, my closest companion. I could not make him worry over me, who is supposed to be wielding him.
He paused, unsure to go on. "You're... crying."
"Heh~? What are you talking about Yukine-kun~?"
A small, pale hand was placed on mine and lifted up to my face. My blue eyes widened in realization as I felt something wet which left a sticky trail on my cheeks. "Eh? I'm crying?" This was not happening. "Why am I crying?"
A warm body engulfed me, holding me tight. Yukine latched himself onto me in a form of a hug and stroked my hair. "It's okay," a soft whisper, as soft as the summer breeze. "You can cry if you want to. You don't have to put up a strong front."
The stroking movements were calming to my scalp. I could feel the tears increasing and I tried to hold them back as well as I possibly could in this situation. "What are you saying Yukine? I'm fine~!" They were threatening to spill, the tears.
Instead of being let go, I felt him hug me tighter. "Yato," the way he said my name was heavenly. "it's okay to act like a human every now and then."
I didn't know what it was exactly that Yukine did, or how much trauma the memories of my wretched past came to me in the form of a dream, but I released the floodgates. That cold rainy day in an abandoned shrine, I cried my heart out for the first time in centuries. The one who held and calmed me was my shinki.
~.~.~.~
"Ne, Yukine~! We've got a job~!" I said as enthusiastically as possible. Frankly, I hated jobs which dealt with dogs.
My shinki groaned in protest. "Ugh, not again."
"More job means more money Yukine~! Don't forget that~!" I pocketed my shabby old phone.
After sighing for one last time, Yukine trudged up to me. "Can we get lunch after this?"
"No."
"Whhhhhhyyyyyyyy?" he whined childishly.
I kept my gaze straight ahead. "Because I ran out of money."
A brief silence as we came to a stop.
"You... what junk did you buy this time?..."
"I swear I didn't!" I held up my hands in defence. "I was helping Hiyori to pay some of her bills to Koufuku!"
"Like hell I'll believe that!"
"You have to."
"Why?"
"Cause I'm your master~!"
"... It doesn't matter." And he proceeded to give me a punch which knocked the wind out of me.
I lay helpless (I really was helpless!) on the ground.
"And don't do it again!" he shouted.
Maybe, just maybe Yukine doesn't hate me and my stained hands at all.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Sorry for the ooc, but I badly wanted a broken Yato! Even if it does make him look childish compared to Yukine.
Please review/favourite if you think this story was a good read!
Until next time!
