Author: This is kind of late-I just now got back to using my computer a couple days ago and forgot about the BigBang project until today! (Oh, me...) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! It's not particularly long or anything, but I did put quite a bit of effort into it. :D It's slight Yatori, if you squint/want to take it that way.

A Dream To Believe In

"Hiyori, it's time for bed." Sayuri's voice could be heard from down the hall.

'Not yet, I'm almost done...' Hiyori's thoughts didn't quite leave her mouth, pencil tapping rhythmically against her workbook. Her finals were in the morning, yet regrettably, she hadn't been studying as much as she should have been.

Spending time with her two friends from the far shore had taken priority again lately, it seemed.

Relinquishing a sigh, Hiyori pushed away from her desk and stood up, reaching over to turn out the light. "I'm going to bed now, mom. Goodnight." She finally responded, pushing her chair in and climbing into bed. She knew the material pretty solidly, so hopefully the crash-reminder would be enough for her to pass.

"Class, be sure to stick close to your group and don't stray too far. Now, what you'll be sketching today is..." The teacher's instruction fell upon deaf ears as Hiyori disbanded from her two friends, her attention having been locked onto something—or more specifically, someone—else. There was something about him...

"Hey, mister." He was laid out across the uncomfortable, wooden slats of one of the many park benches. It looked like he was asleep, but he was draped in such an awkward position—it couldn't have been comfortable enough to even accomplish that.

"Mgh?" Moving his arm just a little, the man peeked out with a glare. "What do you want?"

He'd been hired for a particularly grisly task the previous evening, and the customer had offered to treat him to drinks since his pricing was so low; and he, being the person he was, was never one to turn down such elaborate invitation.

In accepting it, however, he'd gotten absolutely plastered. The afternoon sun—mixed with this girls' high-pitched voice—was the perfect cocktail for a throbbing headache.

Groaning, the God who called himself Yato shifted to sit upright. He winced, stretching out his stiff limbs as he examined the girl standing before him. She was young, but not young enough that it would be normal for her to notice him without needing something.

Perhaps she was just shy of graduating from primary school.

"What can I do for you, huh? You need me to knock the snot out of some kids, or something?"

"No," the girl sighed in annoyance, folding her hands neatly in front of her, "I don't need you for anything. I wanted you to know, mister, that I know you've been drinking. You have beer breath." She stated, bold as could be. "Don't you think you should move some place else? There are small children here and you look like a creep."

'How irritating.'

That was the thought that dominated his mind, countenance taking on a look of vexation. "Kid, how would you know what beer breath smells like? Get too close to your dad after a bad day at work?" He was straightforward and moody, especially since Kaene had left him without a shinki.

She'd only lasted a week and a half.

"My dad is a doctor. And, he doesn't drink around me. I'm gonna be a doctor when I grow up, too, so..." Hiyori trailed off, a small frown in place as the man turned away from her. How rude!

But...there was something about him. Making a quick decision, she pulled out her sketchbook—quietly beginning to sketch out the man's appearance. She occasionally glanced up, taking in his indifferent expression as well as his rather peculiarly colored eyes. She was no artist for sure, but she wanted to put careful detail into his face so she would recognize the stranger should they cross paths again.

Yato was well aware of what she was doing, but he remained where he was. After all, those from the near shore were always prone to forget him, anyway. This child would be no different, no matter how interested she was.

Then again...

"Hiyori-chan!" Two other girls ran over just before Hiyori could finish her sketch, and she gasped as Yama took hold of her hand. "Sensei's looking for you! Who are you talking to?" As she spoke, Ami looked around to catch a glimpse of anyone around the park.

"Ah...um," Hiyori quickly pulled her sketchbook to her chest, a quick glance being given to Yato as she blushed. If Ami and Yama couldn't see him, then that meant...

"J-just a bird! That's all! He was on top of that lamp post a minute ago, but I think you two scared him off when you ran up." Hiyori laughed nervously, shrugging off her friends' comments about her acting 'strange'. As she was lead away by her friends, she stole one last glance at the stranger. He'd gotten to his feet, giving her a lasting look before walking back towards the park's restrooms.

Hiyori was always seeing people that were no longer part of this world. And while she was pretty good at picking out who she should and shouldn't pay mind to, she had made her first blunder in a long time.

He had exuded a rather unique—but unmistakable—presence; the more she thought about it, the more she felt absolutely sure that he had been real.

At least she still had the sketch...and that was enough to remind herself that he was not part of her imagination. And while he was not dead like the rest of the spirits she had encountered, he was different in another way—and she felt compelled to know exactly what that difference was.

"Hiyori, hurry up or you're going to be late."

Hiyori had already rushed through getting dressed that morning, but now her mind was front and center on something else. She still had that sketchbook, put up in her closet from all those years ago.

If that sketch existed, it would mean that she had met Yato long before the bus incident.

Finding the sketchbook was the easy part; but that particular drawing was missing. The pages from that class assignment were all there, save for one single page that had been ripped out. How had it gone missing?

Surely, she hadn't torn it out herself.

"Welcome, Hiyori! Did you get out of class early?" Yukine was smiling as always when Hiyori arrived, greeting her with a cheery disposition as she approached the shop.

"Mhm! I finished the first round of my exams already, so I left early to come give you your worksheets." Hiyori held up a notebook, smiling as Yukine slipped out of his apron and started untying the knot he'd made in the neck hole. "Also...is Yato around? I wanted to ask him something."

"Probably upstairs, like always. Too lazy to actually get up and go anywhere..." The regalia huffed, reaching over to drape the apron on one of the metal hooks lining the shelves. "C'mon, I have to go up anyway to get my pencils." He turned to go up first, sliding the door open to head inside. Hiyori followed after him, closing the shop's door behind herself as she did.

"Yato, Hiyori's here." Yukine came into the small attic room, immediately going to his desk to sit down and gather his materials.

"Hey, Hiyori!" Yato had perked up immediately upon the girl's entry. "You left early just to come see me?"

He hadn't really been expecting an affirmative; usually, Hiyori came over to help Yukine study. So the deity was definitely caught off guard when Hiyori spoke.

"Actually...yes, Yato. I had a dream last night, and I wanted to talk to you about it." Taking a few steps forward, Hiyori moved to sit down in front of him.

Yato stalled at the seriousness in her voice. He knew not to crack a joke, whenever she got this way. "Well, alright," he cleared his throat, straightening up as much as he could, "what's the problem? You know you can tell me anything. Was it about your family?"

Hiyori shook her head. "No, Yato. It was actually about you."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Yato's expression changed, as if he'd realized something. Still, he decided to confirm his suspicions. "All those years ago?" He asked softly. "You noticed that sketch was missing, didn't you?" A weighted pause lingered between the two, yet Hiyori's determined expression never once faltered.

Sighing, Yato stood and walked over to the linen closet. Hiyori watched him, and even Yukine had turned to see what the deal was. Pushing open the door, Yato reached up to the highest shelf to remove a dated book. The cover was worn, but he easily flipped to a page towards the end. A sheet of paper fell out, and he quietly reached to pick it up. "This, right?"

Taking the offered piece of paper, Hiyori released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

It was her drawing...

"Yes." She responded, quietly. "So that really did happen, didn't it? I met you before the accident."

"'Nothing good would come out of getting people of the near shore too involved with me'. That was what I had thought at the time. The fact that a child of your age could see me so easily... I followed you home, that day. Waited until you fell asleep, and took the drawing. I couldn't let you be tied to me, if you had a natural connection to our side. I'm sorry, Hiyori." Yato found that he couldn't meet her gaze.

"But why hide it?" Hiyori's grasp on the picture tightened, as well as the feeling in her chest. "I wanted to know you from before...what point was there to not bring it up after—?"

"Wait, let me get this straight. You two met before? Like, before Hiyori's accident?" Yukine had finally spoken up, confusion evident in his features.

"Doesn't matter. She forgot about it, so..." Yato shrugged.

"You made sure I forgot." Hiyori responded, angry. "If I had been able to keep that picture, I would have—,"

"You would have gotten caught up in a lot more trouble than it was worth." Yato was quick to interject. "I wasn't a good person back then, Hiyori. A kid like you, I wouldn't have cared enough to make sure you didn't get hurt. I lived day to day, and even if you were the one who changed that..."

"I could have helped you sooner, Yato."

They were at a stalemate. Another tense silence befell the group, and Yukine broke it when he sighed. "It doesn't really matter how the two of you met, does it?" He picked his eraser up, turning it over between his fingers. "Hiyori, if you were just a kid back then, then Yato's right; it was better that you didn't get involved."

While her accident had tied them together, Hiyori had been older and more capable of handling herself, at that point. "Don't look at it like a missed opportunity. 'Cause even back then, it sounds like he was doing what was for the best. Like, could you just imagine if you had gone up against an ayakashi as a kid? Or better yet, if this shit had started back then? Heh...that guy's greed would have lead him to make you his shinki, or something."

Surprisingly, Yato hadn't denied the accusation.

"You're right, Yukine. I would have taken advantage of her situation." Even the first time, he had put momentary, serious consideration into making Hiyori his regalia. In the end, he had decided against it. She had still been alive, and he couldn't have taken that away, at that point.

But back further, there probably would have been no hesitation whatsoever.

"I told you, Hiyori. It doesn't matter, right? Your stubborn nature lead you right back to me, anyway. Isn't it funny, how that worked out..." Could it have been that obnoxious concept that Gods called...

Fate?

Hiyori didn't respond, instead looking down at her old drawing with quiet resolve. She knew that they were right. But still, she was upset. She had always felt a special kind of connection to Yato, one she couldn't quite explain. And to know that she had known him once before—and had been made to forget about him—hurt. Even if it had been a one time occurrence, it reinforced the fact that she could all too easily forget once again.

Just like she did at Capyperland.

"I don't want to forget," she said, voice quiet, "I wouldn't be happy if I couldn't remember."

Maybe that was why she had always longed for something more. Never developing intimate relationships beyond her friends—because, she had always subconsciously been aware that there was something missing. Something she needed to wait for.

"I'm not going anywhere." She decided then, folding up the drawing and taking Yato's hand. "I don't yet understand why I have this attraction to you; I noticed you when no one else did, and even when you concluded that you couldn't fix my problem unless we parted ways...I couldn't accept that. My life is incomplete without you in it, Yato." She placed the drawing back in his hand, smiling as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Whatever the future holds for us, I'm staying right here. With you, and Yukine-kun. You'll just have to put up with me." She turned to direct her smile at the boy, and Yukine's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Yato could only stare at her. "Hiyori..." Instead of responding, he carefully unfolded the old drawing to look at it. "You got my eyes totally wrong." He cleared his throat, turning his nose up. "They're not that round, or as goofy looking."

"What?" Hiyori's face heated up in disbelief. "I was ten! How could you even think I'd be able to draw that well in the first place!?"

Yukine shook his head at the bickering, turning a small smile down towards his workbook. In the end, it truly didn't matter how those two had met; they were drawn to one another, in such a mysterious way that even he himself didn't understand it.

And they always would be, no matter what happened.