Hiyori sighed as she exited her school, the rain pouring down and soaking everything. Of course she had forgotten her umbrella on the one day the sky decided to open up and bathe everything in sight. Then she had an idea. Quickly, she pulled 5 yen from her pocket and held it to her lips, chapped from the cold wind. "Yato, I request that you bring me an umbrella." She giggled at how superficial and foolish her wish was, but at least this way she'd get to see Yato and stay dry as she trekked home in the growing thunderstorm. Lightening flashed overhead as Hiyori stood perfectly still, waiting for Yato to suddenly appear and scream her name. A few minutes passed before her patience began to wear thin. "Where could he be?" she huffed. She hadn't seen any menacing Phantoms lately, and Kofuku hadn't mentioned that a storm would occur soon. She sat down on the steps impatiently. Of course he'd show up soon. He always did. What could be keeping him?
It was beneficial to Hiyori if they kept their distance and eventually cut ties. At least, that's what Yato told himself. He could distantly hear Hiyori's voice in the back of his mind offering him 5 yen to hear her request, but he decided to ignore it. She'd be safer this way. He no longer wanted to involve her in his feuds with other Gods, or the giant Phantoms that kept appearing. Her safety meant everything to him. "Yato, where's Hiyorin?" Kofuku asked affectionately as she patted him on the head. He shrugged melancholically. She raised her eyebrows. "How do you not know? You always keep an eye on Hiyori." He sat up from his lounging position and mused his already unruly hair, shrugging once again. "I'd have to cut ties with her eventually, so I thought now would be a great time to start." When no reply came, Yato glanced up at her, only to find her pouting angrily, her fists clenched at her side. "What?" he asked. Kofuku's eyes flashed angrily as her eyes welled with tears. "Yato is stupid!" she spat as the tears welled over and she marched away.
As soon as she was gone, Daikoku appeared in her wake, his eyes flashing as well. "What did you do to Kofuku?" he asked dangerously. Yato flinched but cast his eyes sadly downward. "I just told her that I'm distancing myself from Hiyori such that I can eventually cut our ties. I want her to be able to live happily so-" "Even if that means you'll be unhappy?" Daikoku interrupted, plopping down next to Yato. "Kofuku isn't necessarily angry with you." he scratched his nose and gazed out at the pouring rain, Yato following suit. "She only wishes to maintain the normalcy that has formed these past few months. To her, you, Yukine, and Hiyori are family. One would not react calmly to one family member ousting another. She just cares too deeply." Yato sighed. "It's better for Hiyori like this though. She doesn't need us." "Is that what you think?" Yato paused. "What do you mean?" Daikoku sighed then, meeting Yato's gaze. "Have you even asked her what she wants? What if Hiyori wants to stay here. Why is that a problem? Because she's human? You need to stop assuming you know what is best for humans. Even though they may look to Gods for guidance occasionaly, I think they have a lot of things figured out. Trust me, I know. I used to be one." Daikoku stood then, wiping his hands on his apron. "Now look what you made me do, I'll have to start dinner late." he smiled down at Yato then, walking away. Yato stared out into the storm longingly. He just wanted to run to her, but that wouldn't be fair now that he's ignored her request for a few hours.
She was cold. Freezing, more like it. The droplets continued speeding down, stabbing her cold skin, radiating a stinging pain followed by waves of numbness. She fumbled with her scarf, trying to wrap it more tightly around herself, but a sudden gust of biting wind whipped it off her and into the curtain of rain. She exhaled sharply, groaning. Her books were getting soaked and her short skirt and thin shirt were already clinging to her, and not in a flattering manner. She had only been walking for an hour, but she had waited for Yato for three, alone, sitting on the steps. And he had never shown up.
The temperature was dropping rapidly now, so she assumed that the sun, which had been unable to penetrate the thick fortress of black clouds, had set. What made things worse was that her body was exhausted. She had to keep from falling asleep on the sidewalk multiple times. Now was not the time to forget her body in a ditch to slowly freeze or drown. But sleepiness was crashing down upon her now, much like the rain, and she began to stumble. She righted herself quickly, but accidently dragged her foot, falling face first into the grass next to a bridge that crossed a small stream. Just as sudden, she was upright again, but this time she was looking at herself. She groaned again. No, this couldn't be happening. Her cord twitched behind her, unable to feel the cold sensation of the wind and rain. At least she could find Yato in this form and give him a piece of her mind. And so help her Bishamon, if he screamed her name happily while jumping for her...she smiled beside herself. He was such a dork.
She started out for Kofuku's quickly, wanting to get assistance for her helpless body on the side of the bridge. As she approached the front gate, she coughed harshly. She frowned. That shouldn't happen in this form. She was not biologically or environmentally affected, or at least she wasn't supposed to be. Hiyori knocked lightly at the shrine's entrance, her body beginning to shiver. "Oi, Kofuku, you have a visitor." she heard Yato's lazy voice sound from inside. Then the door was wrenched open, and she was met with a beaming face. "Hiyorin!" Kofuku jumped on her, much like she expected Yato to have done. She smiled at the pink-haired girl and slowly detached herself from her. "Where's Yato?" Kofuku frowned and pointed to the main room of the shrine, where they all usually had tea together. Hiyori squared her shoulders and raised her head, and stomped into the room.
"Hiyori?" Yato asked incredulously, swiftly standing up. He could see the look in her violet eyes, and she meant business. " I thought you'd accept any request, Yato, as long as it was made with an offering?" she began, stepping towards him dangerously. He took a step back. "I called for you, I waited for you." Then he noticed it. The flushing of her cheeks, the lack of luster in her beautiful eyes, her shivering body. "Hiyori are you okay-" "No! I am not okay! I waited for you for three hours. And you never came. I thought you said you'd be there for me?" she began coughing roughly. "I thought-" she covered her mouth, her vision going blurry. "I thought..." she fell to her knees. "Hiyori!" Yato sped to her side, grabbing her shoulders. "Hiyori, what's wrong?" she removed her hand from her mouth and Yato gasped. It was covered in blood. He stared into her eyes. "I don't...feel too well." she mumbled as her soul began to fade. "Hiyori, where's your body?" Kofuku asked worriedly. Hiyori giggled softly. "Here...or there...who knows? It's not like...Yato cares." He winced at her playful and picked her up carefully. "Just hang on Hiyori, we'll find your body." He began to sprint.
"Maybe...maybe I don't want you to. We could all be together forever if I just died." Yato paled. "Hiyori, don't say something like that." he said softly. "If I'm alive, you'll try to leave again." her body and voice began to fade even more. "No I wont." She stared up at him with sad eyes that welled with tears. "I waited for so long, Yato. Why didn't you come?" His chest clenched. "I wanted to cut ties-to protect you. I just want you to be happy." "I'm happy when I'm with you." she whispered. "Then I won't leave again." his voice wavered. "I promise." she smiled then, and seemed to crumple in his arms. "The bridge. My body's at...the bridge." He sighed, relieved, and teleported them there.
His relief was short-lived however. Yato gasped as he saw Hiyori's body, facedown and cold in the wet grass, surrounded by Phantoms. Gently, he set her body down a safe distance away. He cursed himself for not bringing Yukine. "I'll be right back Hiyori. I'm just going to jump in and grab your body, okay? Just hang on." he smoothed the hair from her face and stood up, turning towards the Phantoms. "Alright." he rubbed his hands together. Suddenly, he charged through a small opening between two of them and grabbed her body. Then, he screamed in pain as one of the phantom's grabbed his wrist, blighting him. He laughed painfully. "How annoying." He pulled away and jumped, landing softly next to her soul. "Hiyori, you have to go back into your body." "What about you?" she inquired, looking past him at the converging Phantoms, and then down to his blighted wrist. He smiled arrogantly. "I'll be fine." She sighed and smiled back, reaching for her body, and falling into it.
He turned to face the Phantoms and stood tall. "I wont let you hurt her. Ever." "Yato!" he heard a young voice scream. Relief washed over him as he saw a blonde running towards him. "Come, Sekki!" In a flash of pure light, a katana landed in Yato's hand, and he began like he always did. "You, who would desecrate this Land of the Rising Sun." "Yato, no time for that. Hiyori's human body is weak." Yukine's voice rang in his head. He nodded and struck swiftly, dispatching the Phantoms in a glorious scarlet flash. "Yukine." he said affectionately, and the boy returned to his human form. Yato gently picked up her body, alarmed by how cold it felt. Yukine placed a hand on her forehead. "She's sick." he stated grimly. Yato stood. "Go back to Kofuku's and ask her to prepare some medicine. I'll take Hiyori home." Yukine nodded and jetted off. "And pull up your hood, young man. I don't want you catching a cold either!" he smiled at Yukine, who was glad to know that even if it were impossible for him to catch a cold, that Yato still treated him like a normal kid.
Yato charged through Hiyori's front door, glad that her parents, like always, were to busy at the hospital to come home. Swiftly he jogged up to her room and entered, suddenly pausing. He couldn't lay her in her warm comfy bed with her soaking clothes still plastered to her body. Then, a vibrant red blush spread from his cheeks down to his toes. He would have to change her clothes. There's no way he could do that. He was a guy and she...she wasn't. He became flustered. "Yato." a small voice sounded. He shifted his gaze to the frail body he had bundled in his arms, and found her feverish gaze studying him, slightly amused. "I can, at least, change myself." she mumbled, and he could hear the smile in her voice. He gingerly set her down on her feet, and she wobbled a bit before regaining her balance. She reached for the hem of her shirt and turned around to the opposite wall. Yato stared at her wonderingly, curious as to how she still managed to remain standing. She met his stare over her shoulder, and blushed profusely herself. "Y-Yato! Turn around!" "Ah, I'm sorry!" he said, covering his eyes and quickly whipping around to face the opposite direction. A few minutes later he heard a thud. "Hiyori?" he asked, slightly turning to face her, peering through his fingers. When he saw her sitting on the ground, he ran to her. "Hiyori?" he asked, concern flooding his voice. "I-I just got a little dizzy. That's all." He then jetted off and grabbed a towel from her bathroom, and wrapped it around her head before furiously wrenching left and right, effectively drying her hair in minutes. Then, he helped her up, guiding her at the elbow to her bed. He softly pulled the covers in around her tightly and warmly. "I'll be right back." he spoke quietly, and she nodded slightly.
A few minutes later, he walked back in, comically wearing her mother's apron and carrying a steaming bowl of something that smelled almost as good as Yato did. Hiyori blushed. "Yukine should get here any minute with some medicine, but I've made you some soup. It'll help warm you up." he gave her a small smile, not quite meeting her exhausted eyes. Slowly, he spoon-fed her one bite at a time, cautiously blowing on each bite to ensure he wouldn't inadvertently burn her full lips or mouth. When she was finished he began to leave. Carrying the empty bowl with him, he stepped toward the door and rested a hand on the light switch. "Get some sleep," he ordered gently and just as quiet. "You need to get better as fast as possible." he paused, still not facing her. "I'm sorry Hiyori." he choked, almost soundlessly. "I'm truly, terribly, sorry." A lone tear streamed down his face, which Yato shielded from her view. "Yato," her voice sounded, sleepily. "Please don't go." His eyes widened and his heart ached. Then, she held up 5 yen carefully. "Will you hear this request, please?" he slowly turned back toward her, setting the bowl down. "My request is for you, to please-" her voice cracked, raw emotion spilling into the air around them. "please don't leave me alone again. Please." she begged, seemingly calm. But he could sense it. He could tell her bravado, her meticulously constructed façade, was crumbling-just like his. "Hiyori." He slowly took a tentative step toward her. He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to so bad.
"Is it okay?" he asked, childlike. "Is it okay if I stay, with you, for as long as I can?" he requested in return, his heart wrenching at the smile that she answered with. "Please do." she responded. "Hiyori!" he yelled like he always did, yet it possessed at sad undertone. He also grasped for her as he always did, warming her heart. "I'm so sorry. So sorry. Sorry, Hiyori, sorry..." he repeated, rubbing his cheek along her feverish one. Tentatively, he brushed her hair lightly away from her face as her head rested peacefully on his shoulder. "Didn't you promise to never crawl into my bed again?" she joked, almost inaudibly. He kissed the top of her forehead. "Sorry. But I'm never leaving you alone again. Ever." She fully relaxed then, and her body curved perfectly against his. He blushed and gingerly placed his lips on hers, and a smile spread across his face when Hiyori breathed "Yato" contentedly against them. He pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead on hers. "Your request has been heard. May our fates intertwine verily."