title: happiness

summary: she - no, they - are worth everything he has to give. — yatori - ish drabble, set slightly in the future

characters: yato, hiyori, yukine, kofuku, daikoku

words: 758

notes i: eeeergh i've been dying to write some noragami, and, well

notes ii: you know the old saying - "yato is love, yato is life"

notes iii: no i did not just make that up what are you talking about

notes iv: in which yato pursues happiness. also yes there are mentions of rabo. I know, i know - he's only in the anime; sue me ok

happiness

evertje

happiness.

An elusive concept, Yato thinks. Even after all these years; man still hasn't figured it out. He scoffs. He knows the secret to happiness isn't linked to wealth. He's seen many a rich man destroyed by the resounding emptiness that (ironically) does and does not fill them. Oddly enough, men keep trying at it, thinking money will fulfill their needs on a spiritual level.

He ducks under the banners that fly around Kofuku's place with ease, his mind wandering. There's no way killing makes a person happy. He's aware of that. But then he backtracks - he used to be a god of chaos, a god that murdered for money. He presses his tongue to the inside of his cheek. But it never gave me pleasure, or anything of the sort. Rabo, though - Rabo thrived on death.

So where did that leave Yato? What gave Yato the right to determine what made happiness, what gave others that happiness? Brow furrowed, he lopes into the vestibule of Kofuku's shop; only to be attacked by -

- Hiyori?

"Hi," comes her breathless answer. "It's good to see you." He swallows, bringing his arms around her tiny body (well, not tiny, exactly, but she's so small and he might break her and frick how is it humanly [no pun intended] possible for someone to smell that good) and squeezing her lightly. She grips his hand and leads him inside.

"Come on! Kofuku, she made lots of goodies, from onigiri to yakitori to wagashi! We were waiting for you," she says as he unties his scarf; eyes twinkling, practically bouncing.

He smiles.

Later, as they sit on the porch drinking tea alone (read: Kofuku is smashed and Daikoku is putting her to bed [which likely means he just fell asleep with her] and Yukine is doing his homework), Yato strikes up a conversation with his human companion in relation to his earlier inner turmoil.

"Hiyori?"

"Nn?"

"What do you think happiness is, exactly?" Her beautiful violet eyes flicker briefly as she glances curiously at him.

"Well," she starts slowly. "I don't think happiness is a permanent thing." He cocks his head. "What do you mean?"

"Look at it this way. If you're a kid, and you have this toy, this brand new toy that you just absolutely love, and you're so happy - and I take it from you, you're no longer happy, right? I think, Yato -" she inhales deeply - "what you should search for is joy. Joy is something that can't be caused by material objects. It's caused by the experiences you go through and the people that surround you, you know?"

Yato blinks.

"That may be the most Tono - unrelated wisdom you've ever spouted," he says, snickering. She blushes wildly and then fumbles her hands into her sleeves. "Shut up, Yato."

His laughter dies down and he pulls her closer to him.

"I guess this -" he gestures to the building around them and its inhabitants - "is my joy, then."

Hiyori tips her head up and presses her lips to his jaw before standing to go get more tea.

And Yato feels whole.

For once in his cursed life, he feels really and truly loved.

notes v: i love writing noragami so much ugh.

for those who don't know:

onigiri: O-nigiri, also known as o-musubi, nigirimeshi or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylinder shapes and often wrapped in nori.

yakitori: Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The preparation of Yakitori involves skewering the meat with kushi, a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire.

wagashi: Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, anko, and fruits. Wagashi are typically made from plant ingredients.