Even before she opened her pink eyes, a wonderful and familiar scent invaded her sense of smell. It comforted her and nearly carried her back to sleep.
But when it finally dawned on her that someone's arm had been draped around her torso, her eyes snapped open. Hiyori needed to see his face to believe it. She needed to see those brilliant blue eyes and hear that familiar voice.
"Did I wake you?"
There it was, like sugar in her ears. How she missed it.
Hiyori gasped, quickly springing up. He flung his arm away from her, and it hovered above her in midair hesitantly.
"Yato…"
He sat up as well, adjusting to face her.
And there they were. Those fierce, surreal orbs of eyes revealed themselves before her with worry.
He's... worried...?
There was a long, awkward moment of silent tension.
Both avoided each other's eyes. He broke the quietness first.
"H-hi..." he mumbled, his cheeks reddening.
"H-... hello..." Hiyori responded nervously.
Realizing he was staring, Yato cleared his throat and ruffled his dark hair.
"H-how...- are you feeling?" He finally asked, averting his gaze from hers. "Kofuku said you fell sick..."
The memories of what happened earlier finally hit her, and Hiyori blinked in surprise as it finally replayed in her mind.
"O-oh," she mumbled. "I'm fine now. Still queasy, but I-I'm okay. I saw my doctor and some specialists. Th-they all agreed that I was on track. And...- the baby seems healthy..."
"Th-that's...- good..." he replied quietly, nervously scratching the back of his head.
There was another long-lasting silence.
"D-do-?"
Yato lifted his gaze from the floor, hearing Hiyori ask him something.
"Do you-" she continued with pink cheeks and closed eyes, "want to see it...?"
Yato's breath caught in his throat, and his chest thumped with each vigorous heartbeat. He kept himself as calm as he could.
"C-can I?" He asked eagerly, but softly.
Hiyori smirked at his attempt to contain his excitement. Maybe this won't be so bad after all...
She nodded a bit. "Mm."
She reached behind her for her purse, and Yato waited impatiently for her. Once she retrieved it, Hiyori tenderly pulled out the photo from the ultrasound.
When she finally handed it to Yato, she waited for his reaction. However, rather than immediate joy, he was visibly confused as he tried to flip the picture over. Hiyori chuckled gently at his puzzled expression. She scooted over, placing her support on one hand and pointing with the other at the round white shape in the center of the dark photo. Their shoulders brushed together, causing Yato to blush.
"Ya see? That's its head," she told him, circling it with her finger.
Then, she pointed slightly lower of the head, to where two tiny oval shapes stuck out. She observed his face, watching his interest peak.
"... its arms..."
She circled her finger around two deformed shapes next to the arms. Her voice grew softer the more she her thoughts interrupted her speaking. He was listening intently nonetheless.
"... its legs... little feet..."
Hiyori could see the complete overflowing emotions he held in behind his eyes. His expression was that of awe and wonder.
"It's-..." Yato's voice sounded slightly uneven, "incredible..."
Hiyori nodded in agreement. Her head subconsciously lulled against his shoulder, finding comfort there.
"How-..." he tried to keep himself collected and cleared his throat, "how far along are you...?"
"O-oh. The doctors said... three months now," she answered quietly with heart rising in her cheeks.
It's... already been a while now, Yato thought to himself, lowering his head.
Hiyori smiled, but her moment of joy faded when she felt Yato shudder and heard him whimper.
"Y-Yato? What's wrong?"
"H-Hiyori…" Yato breathed out between his sobs. "Do you...- hate me…?"
Hiyori panicked. "W-what?! Of course not!" She answered, then tucked some hair behind her ear, feeling shy. "I-... I thought you hated me…"
Yato shook his head, but Hiyori took it for him, trying to distract himself from crying. "I could never hate you, Hiyori…"
In the middle of his soft sobs, Yato scraped his teeth. "I'm just the selfish asshole that took your innocence…" he mumbled, lowering the picture of the ultrasound in his lap. "And your future."
Hiyori practically threw herself at him in an attempt to gain his attention. "What?! No, no! Don't say that!" she blurted. "It's not your fault. W-we didn't know this would happen. After all... a god and a human being able to have a child…-"
"Y-... yeah..." he mumbled back, sounding distracted.
Both their minds wandered off at the mention of it, but Yato couldn't shake the feeling.
Hiyori must've sensed his anxieties, because she reached out and cupped his face to calm him. The motion caused him to turn his head to look at her. To bring him back to his senses, Hiyori carefully brought her mouth down upon his. It was enough to cause him to tense up in surprise. However, his shot nerves soon settled, and he felt Hiyori use her thumbs to wipe his tears as they both melted into the kiss.
When they finally pulled away after a long moment, Yato's breathing had slowed. Feeling relieved, Hiyori closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around the god, and rested her head against his warm chest. He sighed, resting his eyes as he held Hiyori in his embrace.
"Hiyori...?" The god spoke after a few seconds.
"Hmm?" She hummed, slowly looking up at him.
"I...-" he grinned softly, "can I-... feel it...?"
As if she didn't understand what he meant, she stared up at him and blinked. Yato laughed weakly, his eyes gesturing towards her stomach. Hiyori blushed, finally realizing what he had meant. Then she nodded in agreement.
Yato took a deep breath and slowly reached a steady hand out. Hiyori lifted her shirt, allowing him to gently press the palm of his hand against her slightly bulged belly.
Noticing some anxiety, Hiyori spoke up. "Don't be nervous, Yato. It's your baby," she reminded him sweetly.
To put him more at ease, Hiyori took one of her hands - the other still holding her shirt up - and held it over Yato's bigger hand. Yato felt his face grow warm with sincere and utter glory. He let out a breathy chuckle.
"'My' baby?" He repeated in disbelief. "O-our…-' baby...?"
The brunette giggled at his reaction. It still seemed to process in his mind that they were both going to be parents together.
"Hai," she nodded in response. "Is-... that what you want...?"
At the sound of it, the corner of his lips curled upward. Yato opened his mouth to answer, but then he quickly retreated his hand from Hiyori's stomach, and his grin disappeared. His face was replaced with concern and horror.
Is he rethinking all of it? Did I say something wrong?
"Y-Yato…?" Hiyori called gently, pulling her shirt back down. "Are you alright?"
Yato blinked a few times before finally making eye contact with his lover once again.
"W-what happened - what's wrong?" Hiyori asked worriedly, reaching out her hand to hold his cheek tenderly.
"I'm-... I'm sorry, Hiyori...!" Yato lowered his head in shame, causing Hiyori to lose grip on his face.
"W-what...-?"
"I-... I want this more than anything - really, I do," he bit his lip, then continued after debating on his next words, "but... I-I just don't know if I can do this. I've been avoiding you since you told me... b-because I-..."
"You don't have to tell me. I don't really care about tha-"
"I'm scared, Hiyori!" He interrupted her, a tear dripping down onto his tightened fist in his lap.
Hiyori froze and went silent. Never in her life would she think such a relatively tame situation would scare Yato, the God of Calamity who had slain hundreds of thousands and run away from everything he'd ever known.
"I was terrified of coming to terms with it - but even after I finally accepted it, I realized that-... that I don't wanna mess this up. This is my baby - our baby!" He admitted, knowing she was listening despite her muted presence. He lifted his head to look at her, the single tear cascading from his frightened yet determined eye.
"If there is anything I will not allow myself to screw up, it's this." He lifted Hiyori's hand in his, holding it carefully between them.
"And I absolutely can't screw up this one." Yato gently placed his hand on Hiyori's stomach again, and she glanced down to see.
"Y-Yato…" Hiyori looked up at him again, taken aback by his genuine words.
She ended up wiping a few tears away from the corners of her eyes as well. However, just as she did so, rivers started pouring from her eyes. Startled, Yato quickly wiped his eyes before he tried to comfort her with a hug.
"Ehhh?! Don't cry, don't cry! W-what's wrong? Did I say something?!" He cried.
Hiyori found it difficult to respond amid her sobbing, but she quickly pulled herself together. She let out a weak laugh and comically fanned her eyes.
"I-I'm fine! M-my hormones are just going crazy!" She told him, hyperventilating.
The half-Phantom ultimately lost at hiding her tears, crying into his jersey until her body gave out. Yato cradled her, stroking her hair until he heard her breathing steady.
"Hiyori?" He called quietly.
No answer.
"Hi-yo-ri...?" He tried again.
"Mm…?" She hummed tiredly into his shoulder blade.
Yato chuckled softly. "Nothing. I'm gonna take you home, okay?"
. . . .
Hiyori's eyes fluttered open, and she felt something warm against her.
This warmth… This scent…
Hiyori squirmed a bit, adjusting herself.
"Don't worry, my goddess. You're almost home."
At the sound of his voice, Hiyori settled into his arms again. She rested her head against his chest. Then, her stomach growled, to which Hiyori blushed.
"U-um…"
"Hm, what is it?" Yato came to a pause, stopping in his tracks to look down at his lover in his arms.
"W-we're hungry…" she mumbled bashfully.
"'W-we?'"
Hiyori averted his gaze. "M-me n' the baby."
Yato blushed in response. "O-oh. Right. Well…- I guess we can go find somewhere to eat."
Hiyori gasped and leapt out of his arms. She gave him a huge grin, grabbing his arms and tugging him around the corner.
"C'mon! I know a place close by!"
. . . .
"Agh! Dammit…!" Yato mumbled to himself under his breath.
"Don't blame yourself, Yato," Hiyori told him, wrapping her arm around his. "I-I ate a lot…"
"Y-yeah, but-... you ended up having to pay anyways…" He replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Hiyori shook her head. "It's the least I could do."
"For what? Getting you pregnant, n' running away from my consequences?" Yato mumbled to himself, averting Hiyori's gaze.
"Yato?"
Hiyori released his arm and stepped in front of him.
"We've already both agreed that we wanted this, right?" She asked straightforwardly, her expression determined.
"I-..." He was quiet for a moment, unable to find the words. "I'm just r-really worried…"
Hiyori sighed, her shoulders slumping downward in relief. She searched his face, and her once sharpened glare now become a calm, understanding one.
She reached up and tenderly brushed her fingertips against his dark bangs. "That's my god…"
She smiled softly at him, which surprised the god. Hiyori carefully wrapped her arms around Yato, who then did the same to her.
"I'm worried, too, Yato. Not only am I really young, but...-"
"But I'm a god - I know what you mean," Yato answered, finishing her thought. "Do your parents know?"
Hiyori sighed.
My parents… I miss them…
Hiyori nodded against his chest. "Y-yes. I didn't actually get to tell them. My father only found out since he's a doctor and could recognize my symptoms. Then, he told my mother…"
Yato hung his head in shame. "Gomen'nasai…"
Hiyori pulled away to look at him, but he was staring at his feet.
"Stop blaming yourself. You don't have to apologize anymore."
"But, I-I just don't know what else to say. And besides, I just…-" his thoughts trailed off.
"You what? Whatever it is, you can tell me," Hiyori told him gently, placing her hand to his face.
"I just… don't know if I-... if I'd be a good parent…" he admitted, his voice sounding choked up. "I want to be, b-but… I don't even know if I'm even worthy of being a father…"
Hiyori felt her eyes tear up, and her hand trembled against his cheek. "Y-Yato…"
"I-... I try to pretend I'm a God of Fortune, but I'm still just the God of-... God of Calamity," he said bitterly. "I've taken so many lives, and now, I'm creating a life - n' it just feels so wrong."
Hiyori remained silent, observing him carefully.
Yato sighed, staring at his boots. "I don't know what it really means to be a dad - I mean, look at mine. He's insane!" All of his worries started flowing out at once. "And if I can't afford a single meal for one person - let alone a whole family, our baby won't have what it needs once it's here. I want this to be perfect, n' I wanna be prepared for it. But it just seems like our child's gonna be doomed to a terrible fate as long as I'm around."
When Yato finally lifted his head, he suddenly faced the sight of Hiyori with tears pouring down her face and dripping down her chin.
"H-Hiyo-"
She flung herself onto him, grasping him by the shoulders. "Stop it already! Don't talk like that so much!" She cried loudly. "You are worth it, Yato! And this already is perfect! Who cares who you were before? I love you right now, n' so will our baby! We're gonna be safe and happy together, okay?"
Startled, Yato froze. He felt a lump form in his throat. Unable to control himself, he pulled her close to him and began to sob into her shirt.
"I love you, too, my Hiyori..."
. . . .
The silence was oddly comforting as they both walked together, their hands entwined together. At one point, Yato retrieved his hand back. Hiyori looked over at him, stopping where she was.
"Yato? What're you doing?" She asked.
Yato unzipped and pulled off his jersey, then placed it around Hiyori. Hiyori felt her cheeks warm up.
"I have to make sure you're both warm," he said with childish concern.
Hiyori chuckled a bit and looked down at her stomach. "Your daddy worries too much."
"O-out of love!" Yato defended himself with puppy eyes.
Hiyori giggled and continued to pull on the oversized sleeves. When she went to zip it, she found it was a bit snug around her belly and chest area. However, it fit nonetheless.
"Ready?"
"Mm," Hiyori nodded, smiling.
Yato smiled back and took her hand again. When the god went to turn the corner, Hiyori tugged him back.
"W-where are you going? Your house is this way, isn't it?" Yato asked, using his finger to point in the direction he was going.
"Um…" Hiyori grinned nervously "h-hai. But...- let's go this way," she insisted.
"Uhh…" Yato blinked cluelessly. "O-okay…"
By the time they reached the apartment complex, Yato couldn't understand what was going on.
"Hiyori…?" He called nervously.
He watched as she stood next to him, pressing the "up" button for the elevator. She didn't answer, but he knew she could hear him.
"Hiyori, where're we going - what're we doing here?"
His uneasiness only got worse with each second she remained silent. He cautiously followed her off the elevator and onto the second-floor hallway of apartment doors. Yato, powerless to do anything, watched as Hiyori pulled out a spare key and opened one of the apartment doors. She pushed open the door and walked inside. She held it open, waiting for Yato to come inside as well. He gave her a questionable look before stepping foot inside. Once they were both in, Yato nervously scanned the apartment, trying to find clues.
It was a bit of a mess, and there were only a few dishes in the sink. He searched around more intently.
"Where... are we...?" Yato asked quietly.
"I'm...- staying here."
"What do you mean?"
He turned to look at his lover, but she was standing by the sink with a blank stare.
"Hiyori? Answer me - what's going on?"
Yato anxiously searched around, not knowing what to do. In his moment of panic, his eyes suddenly landed on something on a nightstand next to the couch. He slowly picked up the picture frame and stared at it for a moment.
It's... her and her brother...
Yato put the photo down again. "This...- this is your brother's apartment…?" His tone suddenly sounded low and pitiful. "You're... living here? With your brother?"
Hiyori lowered her head silently.
"Hiyori, look at me!"
He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. "Why aren't you at home? What will your parents think? Are you still going to any of your classes?" He blurted.
Hiyori bit her lip, but it still didn't prevent the tears from spilling. In the midst of her silence, his thoughts were able to play out and connect together.
"Your-..." he blinked, realization dawning on him, "your parents... kicked you out…"
Hiyori glanced up at him, her face red and puffy. Then, she let put out a strangled sob, ripped herself from Yato's grasp, and dashed towards her brother's bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her.
Yato stood there in shock. After a few minutes, he finally sighed and approached the bedroom. He knocked on the door.
"Hiyori? Sweetie…?"
The door slowly opened a few seconds later. Hiyori sniffled and looked up at the god with sorrow in her pink eyes. The god looked back at her with sympathetic ones.
"Look, I-"
"No," she interrupted. "I-I don't wanna talk about it. I just-" she rubbed her wet face on his jersey, which she still hadn't taken off, "want to enjoy being here with you. Right now. That's all I've ever wanted."
She gave him a small, sad smile, and Yato felt his heart sink at the sight of it.
"I-"
"Shh!"
Hiyori pulled him closer and down towards her face, capturing his lips. Surprised, the god soon settled and learned not to resist it. Yato slowly closed the door behind him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
