Hiyori waltzed through the restaurant, clearing empty glasses and plates as she went. She could feel his eyes on her. Sometimes it would irritate her when he would watch her work, but she was enjoying his attention that night. Her cheeks were rosy and her skin was glossy as she ran herself ragged waiting tables and serving guests. He would breath her in each time she rushed past his table. Her scent was the most perfect scent in the world to him. He literally had nothing better to do than observe his favourite person work, and, of course, he enjoyed the free food. It was eleven when the last customer exited the building. The servers gathered at the bar to receive their share of the tips from the evening. Hiyori, with Yato at her side, was handed a handful of change. Yato's eyes widened at the money in her hand and he draped an arm over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes before handing him a five yen coin. He clasped it like it meant the world to him before shoving it deep in to his pocket. Yukine scoffed from the exit, he couldn't believe Yato would take from Hiyori's tips. But Hiyori didn't really mind, she liked how his eyes glistened at the small coin. The two boys waited outside the restaurant while Hiyori grabbed her things. They were bickering about something, when he arrived. Yato's mood changed in an instant.

"Why is he here?" Yato said moodily. Yukine watched his master sulk against the wall.

"He is her boyfriend, Yato." Yukine said. His words cut Yato deep. It never stung any less when he heard about Hiyori's boyfriend. He had watched their relationship form over the past few months, but had hoped it would fizzle out in the end. But it didn't. Tamaki had asked Hiyori to be his girlfriend and she had accepted. It had broken Yato's heart, but he refused to let anyone, let alone a human, come between him and his precious Hiyori.

Hiyori emerged from the restaurant. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and locked eyes with Yato. She saw the upset in his eyes and opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong. But he stopped her.

"Your boyfriend has come to walk you home." Yato said. Hiyori looked to the right and saw Tamaki smiling at her with his hand in his pocket. Yato rested his hand on Yukine's head.

"Come on, kid." Yato said. He and Yukine turned and began their walk home. Hiyori approached her boyfriend. She d couldn't remember making plans with him that evening and she had kind of been looking forward to walking home with Yato and Yukine. Tamaki placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and she linked her arm through his.

"How was work?" Tamaki asked her. She had met him at her father's hospital. He was an intern that worked closely with her father. One day, when Hiyori was visiting her father, her soul slipped out of her body and her father, after finding his daughter's unconscious body in his hallway, had her rest in an empty bed. When she awoke in the hospital Tamaki was stood at her bedside. Her father had sent him to tend to her needs while she rested. He was charming and kind and exactly the kind of human that Hiyori had always imagined herself with. It helped that he was tall and handsome with brown tousled hair. Hiyori had always harboured strong feelings for someone else, so she surprised herself when she accepted Tamaki's request to be his girlfriend. Deep down, she knew it would never work with the god she had been intertwined with since she was sixteen. She had to live her life as a human and that meant having a normal, human boyfriend.

"It was busy tonight, I'm tired." She said. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Yato and Yukine were disappearing in to the distance. She felt an aching in the pit of her stomach and turned back to look ahead. She knew Yato would have been disappointed when Tamaki showed up.

"Do you want to stay at mine tonight? It's closer, saves you walking all the way home." He said. He was right. Hiyori's house was another ten minutes away and her feet were hurting and it was cold. But it would be her first time spending the night at her boyfriends house. She didn't have any spare clothes or even a tooth brush. "I always keep a spare toothbrush." He said, as if he could read her mind. She blushed a little.

"Okay. I'll stay." She smiled and gripped his arm a little tighter.

They entered Tamaki's apartment and hung their coats on the wall. Tamaki began making Hiyori some tea while she got herself ready for bed. She was nervous. Butterflies fluttered inside her stomach as she thought about laying next to Tamaki for the night. Then she thought about Yato and how she hadn't gotten to wish him goodnight, so she took out her phone and sent him a text message. He responded instantly and told her to sleep tight. He didn't know she'd be sleeping tight next to Tamaki. Hiyori tied her hair in to a bun and splashed her face with water. She opened a drawer and found the tooth brush Tamaki mentioned. After brushing her teeth she left the bathroom and entered Tamaki's bedroom. There were clothes folded on the end of the bed.

"I put some clothes out for you to wear to bed." Tamaki called out from the kitchen. Hiyori smiled and felt less nervous now. Tamaki was respectful. He wouldn't watch her change and didn't expect her to sleep in just her underwear. She pulled on his shorts and a T-shirt that hung off of her small frame. She pulled the T-shirt to her nose and took a deep breath in. It smelt nice. Not as nice as Yato she thought to herself. Then wondered why she was even comparing them. Tamaki entered the room with a mug of steaming herbal tea. He handed the drink to Hiyori and kissed her forehead as she took her first sip. She hummed with pleasure as the warm brew made it's way down her throat. She thanked Tamaki for the tea and kissed him, on the lips this time.

"Are the clothes I put out okay?" He asked, looking her up and down.

"Perfect." She smiled and walked to what would be her side of the bed. She set the tea down on the side table and stood staring at the bed. The last person she had spent the night with was Yukine when they had just met and she hadn't felt nervous then at all. So why was she nervous now? She didn't want to get in to the bed first. She was a guest, it was rude to let herself in to someone else's bed. So she stood at the side and fiddled with the T-shirt she was wearing, wrapping the extra fabric around her fingers. Tamaki changed his clothes right in front of her. He removed his shirt and stood topless as he hung the shirt back in the wardrobe. Then he slipped off his belt and took off his trousers. Hiyori's cheeks flushed red. He stood in his boxers as he folded away his trousers. She didn't know where to look. Suddenly she wanted to jump in to the bed and hide under the covers. She grabbed her tea and took a long sip, staring in to the mug as she drank. The steam burnt her cheeks, but she felt protected somehow. Tamaki pulled back the covers and climbed into his bed. He let out a satisfied breath as he sunk in to the pillows. He noticed Hiyori clinging to her tea at the side of the bed. He found her so endearing. She had wrinkled the bottom of his T-shirt with her nervous fiddling and her cheeks were a cute shade of pink. He hadn't given it a second thought when he had taken his clothes off in front of her. Maybe he should have put some pyjamas on too. But he hated sleeping in pyjamas. He pulled back the covers on Hiyori's side and smiled.

"You can get in, you know." He said. Hiyori forced a smile and set her mug back on the side table. She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear and entered the bed. she stretched her legs under the covers and laid back in to the pillows. Tamaki slid an arm under her head and She felt the urge to sit up again, but she made herself relax in to his arms as he gently wrapped them around her. She had never been held like this before. Never. Her temperature began to rise and the butterflies in her stomach grew stronger. She took a deep breath and turned herself towards Tamaki so she could rest her head on his chest. He held her a little tighter then, as if to gesture that she had made the right move. She rested her cheek against his bare skin. It was warm and smooth. She could hear his heart beating through his chest. It was beating slowly, he was clearly more relaxed than she was. He was probably used to having girls in his bed. In fact he probably shared this bed with girls who knew exactly what moves to make and who weren't shy to sleep in their underwear. Hiyori tried to stop herself thinking about the girls that had been with Tamaki. He reached out and turned off the lamp next to his bed, plunging the room in to darkness.

"You okay?" He asked her quietly. She nodded. She didn't know if it was the hypnotic rhythm of his heartbeat or the way he was stroking her back, but she was beginning to completely relax.

"Yeah, this is nice." She said, sleepily.

"You could sleep here more often, if you wanted to." He said, hoping that she wouldn't think he was moving too fast or pressuring her in anyway.

"I think I'd like that." Hiyori said, surprising him. He knew he to move slowly with her.

"Me too." He said. He could feel her breath on his skin and he could smell her hair. It was sweet. Hiyori fell asleep and her body relaxed in to his. Tamaki smiled to himself and placed a kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes and drifting off.

The next morning the sun came pouring in to the room to gradually wake Hiyori from her sleep. She found herself laying on her side with Tamaki behind her holding her close to him. She gently slipped out of his embrace and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth, she was conscious of him smelling her morning breath. She let down her hair and combed her fingers through any knots before returning to the bedroom. Tamaki was already out of bed though. Hiyori was disappointed, she had wanted to climb back in and cuddle some more. Tamaki was getting dressed. He wore jeans and a fitted navy T-shirt.

"Are you going somewhere?" Hiyori asked, he seemed like he was in a rush.

"Your dad has called me in to work." Tamaki said, putting on some white socks and brushing past Hiyori to take his turn in the bathroom.

"Oh, really?" Hiyori asked. She didn't expect to be talking about her father first thing in the morning after her first night with Tamaki.

"Probably punishment for not bringing you home last night." Tamaki grinned. Hiyori blushed. She hadn't even thought to let her parent's know that she wasn't going to be home. She was surprised they hadn't been trying to phone her all night.

"You're probably right." Hiyori agreed. It did seem like something her father would do. She felt a little awkward as Tamaki rushed around her. She figured she should be rushing to leave too, so she got back in to her clothes from the night before and took her cup of tea to the kitchen sink. She shrugged back in to her coat and met Tamaki at the front door.

"Do you have plans for today?" He asked as he opened the door.

"No, I'll probably just see Ya-" She stopped herself. Tamaki had no idea Yato or Yukine even existed. It was hard for her not to talk about them around him. She often wished that they could all spend time together. But that would never happen.

"Huh?" Tamaki looked at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"Yama, I'll probably just see Yama." Hiyori said quickly.

"Ah, okay. I'll call you later?" Tamaki asked as he locked his apartment behind them.

"Yes." Hiyori smiled and kissed her boyfriend goodbye. She began her walk home and thought about the night she had just had. She thought about his skin against hers and his arms being wrapped around her waist. Suddenly, sleeping at home had lost it's appeal. Hiyori just wanted another night in Tamaki's embrace. She wanted to wake up in his sheets and leave with his smell on her skin. There was a smile across her face that she couldn't help. By the time she made it home it was just after eight. Her mother was at work, as was her father, which she was relieved about. She didn't want to have to explain to them where she had been. Kicking off her shoes, she headed upstairs and in to her bedroom. Wait. I know that smell. Hiyori stopped outside her bedroom door. Was he there? She reached for the handle, but the door flew open. There he was, standing over her with an expression that turned her stomach.

"Yato! What are you doing in my room?" Hiyori asked sternly.

"Wondering why you aren't in your room." He said, matching her tone. He looked her up and down as his brain registered that she was wearing the same clothes as the night before. He gasped and his face flushed red before turning completely pale. He stumbled and steadied himself against the door frame. Hiyori rolled her eyes and she pushed past him to enter her room.

"Can you go? I have to shower." She said coldly. She was a little embarrassed that he had caught her like this. It's not like she had done anything wrong, she just spent the night with her boyfriend.

"Did you... sleep with him?" Yato asked quietly. Hiyori stopped in her tracks. She couldn't believe what she had just heard him ask her. Turning on her heals she shot him a furious look and threw her pillow at him with great force. The pillow made contact with Yato's face and knocked him back a little. He steadied himself and looked at her with disappointment. A silence fell between them.

"You have no right asking me something like that, Yato." Hiyori said eventually.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant..." His voice trailed off. He seemed hurt.

"Nothing happened, okay? He offered that I spend the night to save me walking all the way home." She said.

"I would've walked you all the way home." Yato said quietly. Hiyori stayed quiet for a moment. "I like walking you home." Yato added. Hiyori's anger depleted and she smiled at her friend. She could never stay mad at him for long.

"I like when you walk me home, too." She said.

"Yukine and I will be busy today, we have a job." Yato said, suddenly changing the subject.

"Oh. That's great, Yato." Hiyori said, a little stunned by his sudden abruptness. Yato could use all the jobs he could get.

"Can I see you tonight?" He asked.

"Of course." Hiyori smiled at the thought of spending her evening with him. With that arrangement made, Yato disappeared. He materialised in Yukine's room at Kofuku's place. He felt empty inside. His mood often revolved around Hiyori's actions. When he had her close by Yato couldn't be happier, but now he felt like this was the start of her slipping her away. But he had a job to do and Yukine was looking at him expectantly. He gave is regalia an affectionate pat on the head and the two of them headed to their job. There were no phantoms or battles to be fought for them today, just brown fences that needed to be painted white.

"Hey, Yato." Yukine said, looking up from his paint pot.

"Yeah, kid." Yato responded.

"I've been wanting to ask you something." Yukine said.

"Shoot."

Yukine paused, as if searching for the right words. "What are you going to do about Hiyori? I mean, she's got a boyfriend now. She's training to be a teacher. She's not a high school girl anymore, Yato. You need to complete her job." His words settled heavily on Yato's heart. He knew his regalia was right, it was something he thought himself everyday. He knew if he was going to cut his ties with Hiyori, now would be the perfect time. But that would meaning losing the most important person in his life and he wasn't ready for that. It was selfish, he knew that, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go just yet. She didn't even know how he felt.

"She'll forget us. You know that, don't you." Yato said, his eyes sad through his tufts of hair.

"Yes, but-"

"-Don't ask me about Hiyori again." Yato said darkly and returned to painting his fence. Yukine watched his master. He knew he couldn't argue with him. Yato had been given so many opportunities to cut his ties with Hiyori and he had refused, why did Yukine think that would've changed now?

Hiyori wrapped a towel around her wet hair and put on some comfy clothes. She wondered over to her mirror to find her reflexion had a pink tail. She turned and saw her body, collapsed on the floor by her wardrobe. She sighed. It had been two years since her problem began. Her stomach knotted. Has it really been that long? She thought. She had been intertwined with Yato and Yukine for two years, slipping in and out of her body and joining them on adventures. She wouldn't give those memories up for the world. Deep down, somewhere inside her, she knew the solution was to cut her ties with Yato. But she couldn't bare the thought of that. She endured her episodes of detaching from her body, because it meant being with Yato and Yukine. She would miss important life events but it was okay but Yato and Yukine were there to comfort her. She would detach from her body more often and for longer now, but she tried not to worry because she didn't want anything to change.

Since her soul had slipped out again, she decided to take advantage. She ditched the hair towel and leapt out of her bedroom window. The cool air filled her lungs as she flew from rooftop to rooftop. Her ability to soar through the air like she was weightless was something she missed when in her human form. Without realising it, Hiyori had ended up on the roof of her father's hospital. She felt curious all of a sudden and made her way inside through the nearest open window. She wondered through the corridors, following Tamaki's scent. She found him talking to another intern. He looked good in his scrubs.

"I think I'm in love with her." Tamaki said. Hiyori stopped. Was he talking about her.

"What, after one night together? You didn't even have sex." The other intern said. Hiyori blushed. So, he'd told them that they hadn't had sex. Had that bothered him? Was he expecting them to sleep together last night?

"You don't rush a relationship like this. I know when she's ready it'll be amazing, but just sleeping with her in my arms is enough right now." He said with a relaxed smile on his face. Hiyori couldn't believe what he was saying. He really was as respectful as she thought he was. Even with his friends, he spoke so humbly of her. She wanted to throw her arms around him right there, but she knew she couldn't. So she just smiled to herself and basked in the moment.

"Dude, get a grip." The other intern laughed and elbowed past Tamaki. Hiyori watched her boyfriend enter a patients room and took that as her queue to leave him be.

Hiyori sat and stared at her body. It had been five hours since her soul had slipped out and she still hadn't returned to her human form. It wasn't long before she had to meet Yato and she hadn't wanted to dress up, but there was nothing she could do in her soul form. She was stuck with damp her and her comfy clothes. Her phone rang. It was Yato. He asked her to meet him at the cherry tree.

"Nice pants." Yato smiled at Hiyori's pink, fluffy pyjama bottoms. He was waiting for her at the base of the cherry tree. The sun was beginning to set.

"My soul slipped out hours ago, I didn't get the chance to get dressed." She sighed as she approached her friend.

"It seems like you're getting stuck in this form for a lot longer these days." Yato said.

"I thought that too. I've been like this all day, almost." Hiyori said. Yato could see the frustration she was feeling and he hated it for her. He knew the closer he got to her, the stronger her pull to his world became.

"We both know how to solve this problem, Hiyori." Yato reached out a gentle hand and grazed it along her tail. His touch sent tingles down her back.

"What do you mean? You know how to fix this?" Hiyori asked, innocently.

"Come on, Hiyori. We've always known how to stop this, we've just never wanted to admit it to eachother." Yato was calm, he was speaking sense. Hiyori took in his words and absorbed what he was saying. She accepted it and actually agreed with him.

"Why are you saying this now?" She asked, quietly.

"You're growing up. You don't need this anymore." Yato said.

"Don't say that. No matter how old I get, I will always need this." She reached out her hands and held his face. His cheeks flushed pink as he met her eyes.

"Hiyori, I-"

"-I'm not ready yet." She said. Her hands dropped to her sides.

"It will only get harder." Yato said.

"Is this why you wanted to meet me tonight? To sever our ties?" Hiyori asked, hurt.

"No, not tonight. But we needed to discuss it." Yato said.

"And now we have and my answer is no." Hiyori said with a temper.

"Hiyori..." Yato's voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say. How could he fight for something that he didn't want either? Her phone rang. It was Tamaki. She answered.

"Hi, Yori. I just wondered if you wanted to come over. We could get takeout." Tamaki said. Hiyori smiled at the sound of her boyrfriend's voice. Jealousy washed over Yato as he listened in to their call.

"I'd love to." She said.

"Uh, Hiyori." Yato interrupted her call with a hand on her shoulder.

"One sec, Tamaki." Hiyori placed her hand over her phone and turned to Yato. "What?" She whispered.

"How are you going to spend the night with lover boy when you're not in your body?" Yato said with an amused glint in his eye. Hiyori had completely forgotten about that. She let out a hard breath and bashed her phone against her forehead in frustration.

"Oh, um... I just remembered I agreed to pick up a shift at the restaurant tonight." Hiyori lied.

"That's okay, I'll meet you like I did last night. What time do you finish?" Tamaki asked. He was so sweet.

"Um, eleven." Hiyori said, hoping and praying that she will have returned to her body by then.

"Okay. I'll see you then. Have a good shift." Tamaki ended the call.

"Dammit." Hiyori said.

"You sure you're not ready to end this?" Yato asked.