Hello! It's been a long time since I've written something and I wanted to write one based on Noragami. I love this manga/anime so much.

I actually spent so much time on this. I'm going on holiday abroad tomorrow and wanted to publish this before leaving. I don't know if it's any good and I hope I got the characters not so out of their personality. I also hope the story is not so boring. I just really love the relationship between Yato and Hiyori and had to write something because of the feels I have for them.

I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes (or misspelled words, punctuation too), since English is not my native language.

'italic' - thinking

Feeling Unknown

Hiyori didn't feel like waking up. She didn't get much sleep last night and it was extremely hard waking up early to go to school like this. Blinking and slowly opening her eyes, she felt the first rays of sunshine making their way through her bedroom's window as she reluctantly forced herself to leave her warm and comfortable bed and take a shower. As she felt the water run down her body, she realized how tired she got due to being forced to assist Yato and Yukine out the night before with some tough never-ending kitchen cleaning. They had made a big mess trying to bake a simple strawberry cake for a job they had got recently. Typical Yato and Yukine situation. Their companion, the God of Poverty had also been present throughout the whole baking process which – Hiyori figured – contributed for the whole mess. A smile made its way into her face as she recalled how reversed Yato and Yukine's roles were sometimes. But, there was another issue in the back of her mind that turned her smile into a small frown. Hiyori loved spending time with them, the problem had been when Yato pushed her aside for a few minutes in order to talk to her. Actually, she and Yukine had noticed how Yato would more than often space out for a few moments and then act as nothing was wrong when it was obvious something had been bothering him for quite some time now, but she never got the chance to actually ask him about what had been going on in his head.

She sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom and dressed herself in her school uniform which laid now on the top of her bed. Anyway, she hadn't been expecting what he brought out that night and knew that the problem would have to be, sooner or later, addressed and dealt with. She knew it, but just didn't want to admit it because of the consequences it might bring for them and for her.

"Idiot… how does he dare ask me if I want to cut my bonds with him and Yukine?!" Hiyori whispered to herself as she dried her long straight hair. At first, when he had asked her to speak with her privately and mentioned such topic, Hiyori thought he was joking, but his serious look had been plastered all over his face and she soon became worried. She wasn't stupid. She knew she had been spending a lot of her time with them, in that world, in that life instead of her own, so to say, real life, but she couldn't believe he wanted for her to just simply let go of them and the memories she had with everyone as if she had never met them. Didn't he care for her at all? She sighed yet again. She knew that wasn't right. That was actually her wish in the beginning. But a lot had changed. He would only do what would be best for her. It wouldn't be right to blame him because of this when it had so much to do with her.

"He just really is a big idiot." Hiyori whispered to herself as she stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Putting a smile on her face and deciding to deal with this problem later for when she would eventually met with Yato, she opened her bedroom's door and was about to step out when she bumped into something or rather someone's chest.

Time stood still. 'This smell…' she thought to herself as she brought her eyes up to make eye contact with the person now at her bedroom's door. She'd recognized his smell and presence from miles away, but she would never, in a million years, admit that out loud because of how ridiculous she thought it was and also in order to avoid a constant teasing attack from a certain lovely yet slightly crazy pink-haired girl. How she didn't feel his presence before, she had no idea. Maybe he just got there? And was he really eating ice-cream so early in the morning?

"Yo, Hiyori!" he greeted in his usual cheerful voice eating out what was left of the ice-cream and bending down to her eye level in order to look at her better. Hiyori couldn't help but blush ever so lightly as she tried to look at anything but his bright blue sapphire eyes. She desperately had to try, simultaneously, to calm and ignore her heartbeat pounding slightly faster than usual in her chest.

"Who exactly is this idiot you were murmuring about, Hiyori?" Getting back into the real world by his voice, Hiyori took two steps back from him in order to get herself together and was about to answer, but was shortly interrupted "It's Yukine, right?! See, he woke up today extremely angry at me because I didn't apologize to you yesterday and so he wouldn't stop complaining about it which is why I'm here right now. That moron… making me do this kind of stuff so early in the morning. I guess he heard us yesterday and became worried about you too" Walking past her, Yato started pacing around her room in circles. Hiyori followed him with her eyes, catching every single movement "What you're doing… is quite comical, don't you think?" Hiyori marked trying to lighten the mood as she detected a big amount of nervousness radiating from him. "Why is he acting like this? Does all this nervousness come from what happened yesterday?" Hiyori thought.

Some minutes went by and Hiyori started getting uncomfortable with the never-ending silence forming in her own room. Even more, she was seriously getting worried about Yato. He had stopped pacing around her room but was now quietly just standing at the center of her room. And he didn't look so happy. She did have school to attend, but Yato was more important to her right now 'Wait, what?' She knew she was already late anyway. He was acting weird or at least weirder than you would expect from the God of Calamity. He wasn't speaking… at all. He was usually the one who wouldn't shut up about anything really. Be it good or bad, he wouldn't be this silent. She was also starting to feel guilty because this was obviously all about what they had talked the night before and she wanted more than nothing right now to help him get rid of that burden that had been placed on his shoulders. She didn't want him to worry so much about this issue. Plus, she knew how much it meant to him to have someone by his side and she loved being that person too and she would like to show him that. She was committed to her new mission. Lifting her head with new found determination, she started walking in his direction with wide, large steps. It was time to let this senseless issue go, once and for all "Yat–" she started, but was once again interrupted.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured while passing his hands through his hair "…about yesterday", Hiyori stopped dead in her tracks. She wasn't expecting that. Sure he seemed nervous and they did have an argument the night before, but Hiyori wasn't expecting an apology. Yato had his back turned to her, so she was unable to catch sight of his face, but the way he apologized to her just now let her know that he was bothered and hurting with all of this. She hated it. He didn't need to apologize to her. Why was he apologizing? He did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Yato, why are you apologizing? It's not like you did anything wrong, okay?!" Hiyori shouted, staring now at his back. Everything went silent as her words lingered in the air. Hiyori hadn't even realized but she was now staring at her room's floor, her hair bangs covering her eyes. She was afraid she would break out in tears, but she wasn't like that. She had pronounced that sentence a little too loud which also brought her some shock. She hadn't comprehended how frustrated she was actually getting with all of this. She didn't even know when all these thoughts had started. How long had he been thinking about this? She also just wasn't expecting to confront this so early in the morning.

She wanted him to go back to his goofy, happy self. With his back still turned to her, Hiyori's distance with him started growing smaller and smaller as she got closer to him. He didn't really react to her outburst which made her glad but sad at the same time. Unconsciously, she ended up resting her forehead against his back. 'This smell' Hiyori thought to herself with her eyes closed, smiling as she realized how much she honestly enjoyed his smell. Her arms found their place around Yato's waist as she buried her face deeper into his broad back. To other people it might seem weird, but Yato's smell puts her to ease, it comforts her when she needs it the most. It makes her feel safe. Even if it were the best for her, she would never want to live without it. Maybe someday she would tell him about this?

Yato reacted this time, tensing up a little, but relaxing soon after as he felt Hiyori's warm body against his back and her arms gracefully embracing him in a heartwarming hug. Time stood still for a while as they both enjoyed their moment. Hiyori knew that maybe she was going too far, but she really wanted to get things right with Yato. He was important to her. Not really thinking about what words to use, she decided to trust herself and speak naturally.

"You know, Yato, you don't need to apologize for what you said or did yesterday. It's really okay. You were just thinking about protecting me and about what I asked you back when this crazy thing started, right? Anyway, there must have been a reason for you to have addressed and thought so much on that issue recently. So, it's okay. I'm not blaming you. Really." The pinked-eyed girl whispered ever so softly and quietly into his back. She wasn't sure he had listened, but she had said those words sincerely.

Catching hold of both her hands, Yato rapidly untangled them from his waist and brought her to his front never once letting go of the warmth her hands provided to him. Hiyori was startled by what he had, so suddenly, done as she was currently face-to-face with a worried look plastered on her face, afraid she had done or said something terribly wrong. A tinted-red color started making its way into her face. Yato was now only small centimeters away from her. He seemed to be observing her meticulously which in turn made Hiyori become self-conscious as she locked eyes with his. Their hands were still clenched together which put them in a very compromising situation, at least to Hiyori. She also couldn't really escape because he was holding her strongly and it didn't seem like he wanted to let go. He seemed like he was searching for something in her eyes and she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Yato, are you OK?" as soon as Hiyori pronounced those four words she felt Yato's right hand covering her mouth while still holding her left hand with his own left one. She looked at him with surprised eyes. She didn't get him. What was he searching for? What did he want?

"Hiyori" the god started looking attentively to and through her vivant pink eyes "do you want to go back to your past life? Just answer this sincerely".

He was serious. Really serious. He really wanted for her to think about it for a moment. However, she already did all the thinking she needed. She closed her eyes as a sign for him to know she was carefully thinking about it though. Truthfully, ever since the talk they had, she had thought about it all night. She actually contemplated that option. From what she is understanding, Yato could actually make that happen. He could make her go back to her old life, like she had wanted, never knowing this other world where Yato, Yukine, Kofuko, Daikoku, Tenjin and the others have been living. She could go back to being a regular high school student. Yato felt her smile through his hand which was still covering her mouth making him slightly nervous.

Opening her eyes, she was greeted again with Yato's bright blue eyes that now looked clouded. Hiyori didn't like that. Letting his hand fall from covering her mouth and having it by his side, he waited patiently for her to talk to him about what she had decided.

"You can make that happen, right, Yato?" she looked directly at him as she spilled that sentence as carefully as possible, but the words that came out of Hiyori's mouth made his teeth clench and his insides burn as he looked away from her, breaking their eye contact.

Yato didn't want to lie to her though. He wouldn't dare lie to her. She always believed in him. Besides, her original wish to him was to make her "normal" again, so why was he expecting something different? He would do what she wanted and so "Yes, I can, if that's want you really want, Hiyori". He didn't mean to pronounce that in a mean kind of way, but he couldn't exactly control it. This was the best for her or so he thought. He just didn't understand why he was so mad at her choice. Since she made up her mind, his hold on their hands linked together started to vanish, as Yato was preparing to let go of her hand.

The clock hanging on her bedroom wall marked way past the time Hiyori usually gets out to go to school. She didn't even leave her own room yet. Her parents would be waking up soon. Or maybe they already left the house. But those things didn't really matter that much right now. All she wants is for Yato to understand her feelings.

Hiyori felt Yato let go of her hand while quickly walking past her. She had stayed quiet for too long and so reacted on impulse by grabbing hold of his arm firmly with both her hands. She hadn't said anything yet. In the process though, she tripped and was certain she was supposed to feel her bedroom floor when, in fact, what she felt was Yato pull her to him by her waist. He truly had amazing reflexes. Don't even caring about what happened or how she tripped like that, or how Yato hadn't removed his hand from her waist or how they were once again too close to each other, Hiyori decided it was now or never. Locking eyes with him, she blurted out everything she wanted to say to him.

"The thing is Yato… It's not that I can't let you give me my old life back, the original wish I asked you for, it's that I really don't want that life! I don't want to lose all the memories I've created with Yukine, with Kofuku, with all of them. And more significantly, I certainly don't want to lose and forget the memories I've been creating with you, Yato. I would hate that more than anything. I don't want to forget you! So…" Hiyori's eyes started looking at him and not at him at the same time. She didn't know what else to say in order to make him understand what she felt. What she had said already sounded so weird in her head. She just wanted to be with him.

She didn't expect what he was about to do though. His face started leaning down to her. One of his hands found their way into the back of her head while the other still rested on her waist, slightly supporting her. Their eyes locked and she froze. Her heart suddenly started pounding faster and faster and Hiyori found it hard to breathe – "Yato… you're too close" – she wanted to scold him, but her mouth went dry and words couldn't be found. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do anything and for a mere millisecond she swore she caught him glancing at her lips. She could feel his breath on her and she could smell him pretty well too and figured she must've looked like a tomato by now.

"Thank you, I'm glad, Hiyori" those words that came as a whisper from his lips, Hiyori actually not only heard them but actually felt every single one of them, gracefully and lightly touching her lips.

Hiyori stayed speechless. She was frozen. It wasn't until Yato broke all contact and stepped a safe distance away from her that she gained back her senses. Looking at him, who was now with his gaze turned from her, looking through her window, she noticed as a smile shaped its way to his face. Had she made everything alright again? His eyes were shining their blue color again bright as ever and she couldn't help but smile too. As he glanced at her, she couldn't help but still feel a blush forming and making its way to her cheeks and she didn't know why her heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly whenever she was close to him. She loved his smell but was that enough reason for her to feel like this every time she sees him? Then it hit her – 'No, no, no, I can't possibly be-'

"Hi-yo-ri!" Yato had been trying to catch her attention for a few seconds now, but she spaced out. 'Was I staring for that long?' She noticed how amazing it is that his mood can change so drastically from one minute to the other.

"Damn it, Yato, do you know how many times you've interrupted me today?!" Hiyori argued, getting herself together, as she lost track of her last thought and focused on what he wanted to say now.

"It's just that… don't you have classes to attend? And why do you look so red? Do you have a fever? Maybe it's better if you stay home." Yato asked as calm as ever, stopping in front of her and bumping his forehead with Hiyori's in order to check the temperature.

"Eh? AHHHH… I'm so late!" Hiyori felt she must have become too sensitive to his touch. As fast as she could, in order to stop her blushing face and get away from him and also because she was extremely late, she got her backpack and stormed out of her room. She decided she had to skip breakfast for today and grab something to eat at school. She had spent way too much time dealing with Yato for one morning "I don't regret it though…" she smiled, blushing a little, as she made her way through the day.

Yato watched as Hiyori ran her way to school with an amused smile. He was extremely happy about how all of this had turned out. Truth to be told, he was afraid she would leave. More afraid than he thought he would be though. A grin was now plastered in his face. He didn't know exactly why but he wanted to be with her as long as possible. He wanted to experience more things with her. He wanted to make her happy too. And protect her. Plus, he loved the warm feeling she gave him. It felt nice. Yato blushed a little at this, shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts. On the other hand, he had felt another presence near them as they were talking in her room. At first, he thought it meant trouble, but then he recognized their presences. Looking down from Hiyori's window, he noticed two figures trying to hide from him in the bushes while attempting to run away.

"I take it Kofuko was responsible for making Hiyori trip in a weird way like that… " Yato thought out loud as he jumped from Hiyori's window.

Yato could've have called for them, because he was sure they must have heard everything, but he decided to let them go just this one time. He figured he also needed to start considering getting another job for him and Yukine and get his revenge on him through that. Maybe then he would learn not to eavesdrop. And maybe afterwards, they could all meet up with Hiyori and hang out together. Yato smiled at his plan as he, also, made his way through the day.

The End

That's it. Thank you so much for reading and do leave a review if you want (so I can know what I can improve, what I did right or at I did wrong). Or, if not, just thank you very much for reading! Have a nice day :)