.
.
It's dark.
Hands balled up into fists, pounding against the door.
("Yukine.")
Eyes scrunched up, teeth clenching. Throat hurts from screaming. ("Oi, Yukine!")
Pounding louder. Screaming. ("YUKINE!")
"Yukine-san?!" The rest of the team stared at him as Yukine blinked, seated in the middle of Yato's mindscape, the rush of whatever-the-fuck that was somehow ending. "Yukine-san, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," Yukine said. Vaguely he was aware of the thin blue gems floating in Yato's mindscape, pockets of power that could level up each shinki's weapon form.
Suddenly he remembered: he was trying to draw lines for Gaiki and Suuki when he caught wind of another ayakashi at 3 o'clock, and somehow in-between trying to re-direct the twins' lines and adjust for the trajectory of the storm that was forming behind him, he suddenly started having those weird images.
"I started seeing things," Yukine said. "Like I was locked in a dark room-"
"Don't pay attention to it, Yukine," Yato said. Yukine and the other shinki glanced up.
"Yato. You could see it?" Yukine asked.
"Yeah, Yukine. Sometimes ya tap into the phantoms' negative energy when you're seeing with your mind like that. Just ignore it, Yukine."
"Do you think Kazuma-san tapped into those things too?" Karuha asked. The other shinki glanced at each other, nervously.
"Tch. Probably. Just shut up a minute and lemme concentrate on the storm."
They finished their patrol. Kuraha landed gracefully on Kofuku's lawn, Yato sliding off his back and making a little pirouette on his rollerskates.
"Okay. Aine, Kazune, Karune."
The shinki began zapping into human form.
"Akine, Kinune, Yugine, Yukine.
Yo, Kinki, you wanna stay a dragon or a human?"
"Dragon, Yato-sama."
"Ha ha, that's what I thought! Okay everyone, good job!"
"Wait, Yato," Yukine said, following after him. Yato turned.
"What is it, Yukine?" Yato said.
"That stuff I was seeing," Yukine said. He rubbed his shoulder, frowning. "They kinda felt like memories."
Yato clapped his shoulder. "Ayakashi storms always feel like that, Yukine. They're like floating farts of negative energy."
"Ew."
"My point is, Yukine, don't think too much about it. Humans are susceptible to that kind of stuff, just try not to dwell on it."
Yukine frowned.
His mark was burning. Maybe it was from the strain of trying to coordinate all those shinki, or maybe it was because his mind had stumbled upon a minefield of ayakashi negative energy. Yukine frowned and thought about how Nora had struck him, and what Yato had said about her weakening his name.
"I'm not gonna sting Yato." Yukine looked at himself in the mirror. "I'm not gonna sting Yato."
The crack in his name widened.
xXx
.
The next day, Yato took a different approach to patrol.
"Okay, Yato! I've drawn the twins' borderlines. Fire when ready!"
"That's okay, Yukine!" Yato said, and he held out his hand.
"SEKKI!"
Yukine's blades materialized in Yato's hand.
"Yato, what are you doing?" Yukine said.
"Usin' you, Yukine! Let's go slice up some phantoms!"
And Yato leapt off of Kuraha's back, wielding his swords.
xXx
.
"Yato-sama. Excuse me, Yato-sama?"
Kinuha rushed up behind Yato, who was walking back to Kofuku's house.
"Yeah, Kinune?" Yato turned around.
For the last few days, Yato had only been using shinki who could draw their own borderlines. He used Kinuha's whip form and Yukine's twin blades, but he kept the twins and Yugiha de-materialized. "The others are wondering," Kinuha began. "Have they done something wrong?"
"Eh?" Yato said. Kinuha knitted her brow.
"The twins and Yugiha have noticed you haven't been using them much," Kinuha said. "While I appreciate you using my whip form more, the others are getting restless. They want to participate with you and Yukine-san on patrol."
"Oh. Well. About that." Yato rubbed his neck. "It's not, um. It's not anything to do with you guys."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Well. It's just, in order for Yukine to draw their lines, I haveta keep him partially materialized." Yato wasn't looking at her when he spoke. "I mean, Sekki's a weapon and he costs a lot of energy, and um. I don't have a lot of believers. I mean, there's my piece of shit dad, and then there's Hiyori. And uh. It's just easier for me to use Sekki directly."
"Oh," Kinuha said. She nodded. "I see."
"Yeah," Yato said. He finally met her gaze. "Bishamon could handle all you guys cuz Kazuma was just an earring, plus the fact that she had a ton of believers. And Kazuma's weapon form was technically a divine garment, those types of shinki are pretty cost efficient, energy-wise. I mean, unless they have to guard against an attack or something. Heh. Not that Kazuma ever had to worry about that, since he was just a stupid nail."
"I understand, Yato-sama," Kinuha nodded emphatically. "Forgive me for bringing up such a sensitive subject."
"Just don't tell Yukine, okay?" Yato didn't look at her. "I mean, the kid's kinda sensitive about this stuff, I don't want him to think I'm blamin' him or something. He can't help it that he has a shitty master."
"I understand," Kinuha said again. "But forgive me for disagreeing, Yato-sama. I do not think you are a 'shitty master.'"
xXx
.
In Kofuku's attic, Yato closed his eyes and located Yukine's name.
He never had more than one shinki with his life signature before. While it was true he held onto Nora for centuries, her name was imbued with the life forces of countless gods, her energy signature was like a warm red glow within the blue of his mental landscape. Bishamon's old shinki, though, pulsed with the energy from Yato's life; each name, each shape and curve, was strong and solid. Quietly he sifted through the names like cards until he came upon Yukine's.
Yukine was a hafuri; his name held more weight, and the density of their connection was easily twice that of his connection with the other shinki. Even when surrounded by other names, Yato could pick out Yukine's easily.
Is this what it was like for Kazuma and the stupid skank? Yato wondered. He plucked Yukine's name from the others and turned it over in his mind.
The crack was widening. The strain of having to coordinate all those other shinki was putting stress on the seal on his memories.
He couldn't let Yukine know the reason why he wasn't letting him draw lines for the others. Silently he hoped the gossip would come around, that Yukine would hear second-hand that Yato was a second-rate god who didn't have the stamina to handle all those shinki at once. Yukine was protective but also pragmatic, and Yato knew he wouldn't do anything if he thought it would harm Yato.
Yato sighed heavily. The only thing he was good at, besides killing, was lying. Making up excuses to evade his shitty dad.
In meantime, he would do whatever it took to bolster Yukine's confidence. To hope that the crack would reseal itself through the strength of his connection.
"Hey, Yukine!" Yato said, and he slapped Yukine on the back. "Good job today, Yukine!"
"Ugh, Yato," Yukine said. "I'm tryin' to do my homework!"
"Heh heh. You're just a regular scholar, huh, Yukine?"
"Dammit, Yato," Yukine muttered, but Yato could see the faint dusting of pink on Yukine's cheeks. He grinned and sat next to him, cracking open a can of beer.