Hiyori stared down at her smartphone in her hand, her eyes scanning her own texts.

'I'm sorry, Yato.'

'It's not your fault. I just didn't want you to get hurt.'

'Just say something.'

'Please. I can't do this without you.'

'If you want to, you can come with me for my next check-up today.'

She sighed and turned her phone off. She placed it face down on the bed, her hand coming to hold her stomach.

"D-don't worry," she whispered, looking down at the small curve of her belly. "Daddy will be back soon…"

Had she only said that to comfort herself?

"Hiyori?"

Hiyori, slightly startled, turned around. "Onii-chan…" she mumbled, catching sight of her older brother in the bedroom doorway with a tray of food.

Masaomi set the tray on his nightstand and approached his sister. "Y'know... it's been a while now…" he began, and Hiyori could only listen as he continued. "Maybe... it's time we...- move on?"

Hiyori looked at him and blinked, clueless.

Masaomi sighed again. "I just want what's best for you, Hiyori. You can...-" He stopped himself, the next thing sounding risky to repeat aloud, "find someone else and-"

"W-wait, what?!"

Hiyori looked at Masaomi with shock, scanning his face for some kind of explanation. She tried to process what he was trying to tell her, but she shook her head in disbelief.

"M-Masaomi," she stuttered, holding her hand over her stomach. "I-I already told you - he's not like that!"

Masaomi paused and blinked at her with confusion. "W-what? No," he suddenly became alarmed, waving his hands defensively in front of him, "no, no, no! That's not what I was trying to say! I was just explaining that maybe you'd be happier if you got rid of-"

Masaomi was quick to defend himself. "Hiyori, listen - he's not good for you."

"He only acted that way because you were acting this way!" Hiyori exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"But he got you into this mess!"

"No, I got myself into this mess! This was my choice, n' I decided to take the risk."

Hiyori shook her head in disbelief and retrieved her coat from the rack on the wall.

"H-Hiyori? Where are you going?" Masaomi called, following her out into the hallway.

She spun around on her heel and faced her brother, anger visible on her face. Tears filled her eyes.

"You're no different from Mother and Father! I thought you would accept and support me, but you're not even trying."

Hiyori grabbed her cell phone and stormed out.

"Hiyori! Wait!"

. . . .

"Y-Yato?"

Kofuku looked up from her magazine, and to her delight, she quickly recognized her good friend.

"Hiyorin!" She practically leaped over the kotatsu. "I haven't seen you in so looooong!"

"Hmm? Hiyori-chan?" Daikoku poked his head out from around the corner.

Hiyori was panting, holding her knees. She looked up at them warily, only able to get one word - one name - out of her.

"Yato…"

"Oh - he n' Yukine-kun are not here right now. They'll be back soon, though." The tall Regalia explained.

Daikoku warned his goddess to refrain from hugging Hiyori until she caught her breath. He held his goddess by the back of her collar as she nearly wrestled her way out.

"H-Hiyori-chan? You ran here?" The man blinked at her in surprise. "Your house is about half an hour from here, isn't it?"

Hiyori didn't answer. Her breath was so ragged, the words barely reached her lips. Suddenly, the girl stumbled and fell to her knees, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"Hiyorin!"

Daikoku immediately released Kofuku, both of them rushing to her aid.

. . . .

"Where are those two?" Yato peered around the corners.

"No idea…" Yukine murmured.

"Yo! Kofuku?!" The god called, checking the kitchen.

"Y-Yatty…?" The pink goddess' voice softly rang in from upstairs.

Yato turned to the stairs leading to the attic, finding Kofuku standing at the top with a worried expression.

Yato blinked at her, surprised to see her in a low, worrisome mood.

"What's going on…?" Yukine asked, coming to his master's side.

"It-..." Kofuku's eyes shook with sorrow, "it's Hiyorin..."

At the mention of her name, Yato's senses awakened, and he rushed up to the attic. He brushed past Kofuku and forced open the attic door, revealing Daikoku crouched down beside a futon. Laying among the pillows and sheets was Hiyori with a wet cloth against her forehead; her breathing shallower than normal.

Daikoku turned and looked up at the distressed god with a sympathetic look. "Yato…-"

Yato stumbled down beside the futon, shoving the man aside. "Shut up! I-I'll handle it."

The man retreated to the doorway where his goddess was standing.

Yukine blinked a few times, attempting to take in the sight. "H-Hiyori…?"

You came after me? Again...? Yato thought as he watched his lover.

Kofuku and Daikoku stood in the doorway, staring at his back facing them. They observed the way his face twisted and shriveled into agony. The emotions playing out across his features could've easily been mistaken for physical pain.

"Yatty…" Kofuku murmured, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

She and her Regalia shared uncertain looks, both struggling to find the right thing to comfort their friend.

"M-maybe we can-"

"No," Yato interrupted, his gaze never turning away from Hiyori. "Just get out."

"W-what…?" Daikoku raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I said get out! All of you!" Yato cried, leaping to his feet and slamming the door in their faces.

Now unbothered, the god took another moment to assess the situation.

"H-Hiyori…?" His gentle voice and fierce eyes softened with a sort of guilt. "Hiyori, my dear, please wake up..."

There was no response - no acknowledgement. She was unconscious.

Then he took action.

Yato quickly stripped Hiyori of her coat and top. He pressed his ear to her chest, counting her heartbeats.

1... 2... 3... 4... 5..

It was too far apart. Something must've been wrong.

Whether he was right, or his anxiety was fogging his rationality, horror quickly surfaced.

He ripped his ear away from Hiyori's chest, and his gaze fell upon her belly. His hand hovered over it hesitantly before deciding otherwise. His hand tightened into a fist and dropped to his side again, punching the floor beneath him.

"Shit…!" He cursed under his breath.

An immediate sense of alarm washed over him. He gathered up his lover in his arms, holding her coat over her to keep warm. He raced out of the room and rushed down the steps, nearly slipping. Yato rushed past his friends and his Blessed Vessel.

They watched, to their amazement, as Yato carried the girl out of the shrine.

"Yatty?! Where are you going?" Kofuku called.

"Ay! The hell are you going? You shouldn't be moving her around too much!" Daikoku called as well.

"I'm taking her to a doctor!" He answered over his shoulder.

"M-matte!" Yukine cried, grabbing his jacket. "I-I'm coming with you!"

Yato, having no time to refuse to his Regalia, took off, followed by the blonde boy.

. . . .

Yukine gasped for air, standing in the emergency room. He waited as his master caught sight of the nurse and doctor behind the front desk. The tough part was catching their attention.

"Excuse me?" He panted, his cheeks flushed from adrenaline. "Hey! Can ya hear me?"

The nurse and doctor, who had been previously engaged in a conversation, turned and acknowledged the god.

"O-oh! Gomen'nasai!" She bowed.

"I-it's fine. Look, I-"

"Is that Iki Hiyori?" The young nurse gasped in shock, noticing the brunette in Yato's arms.

Yukine blinked, surprised that he picked up on her so quickly. Well, it was her father's hospital.

"We haven't seen her in a while!" The women exclaimed in surprise. "Her father said she'd gone missing."

Yato's blood suddenly boiled. 'Gone missing.' He scraped his teeth together. Is that her father's way of saying he kicked her out? If that was so true, why didn't he call the police?

"What's the matter?" The doctor intervened, coming around the desk to see closer.

"Uh -" Yato looked down at Hiyori in his arms, then glanced up at the two people again, "yeah, it's her. Sh-she's running a fever, and she's not breathing well."

The nurse then hurried over, scanning Hiyori with a worried expression. "Oh, dear…" she murmured to herself.

The doctor looked behind him and made eye contact with another doctor passing by. "Clear a room for Iki Hiyori!"

The other man nodded in response. "Hai!" He leapt into action, disappearing into another room.

Once he came back, the doctor then proceeded to guide Yato to the room for them. Another nurse was already inside, setting up machines and straightening the thin bed sheets.

Yato seemed hesitant to let her go, glancing between her and the doctors. He eventually rested Hiyori comfortably in the hospital bed. As he did so, the doctor prepared the oxygen tubes and tucked them around her face and nostrils. He clicked on the machine, which started up with a gentle humming sound.

Yato was getting sick of seeing her end up in there. As he stared at her longer, the angrier he got.

"Sir?"

Yato snapped back to his senses and turned to the nurse. "Huh?"

"Sorry. We just need you to answer a few questions, and verify that this information is correct." She clicked her pen, pointing it toward the clipboard in her hands.

"O-oh…" Yato said. "Right."

The god took the paper he was handed, and Yukine watched cluelessly as his master processed the contents of the report.

"Uh - yeah. Yeah, this is all right," Yato stuttered.

Yukine blinked in surprise. He had never seen his master so nervous and shaken up before.

The god handed the paper back in the nurse's direction. She hesitated, but grabbed it back.

"A-are you sure? Because it says here that she's in her first trimester," she explained.

Yato swallowed hard, glancing at Yukine nervously. An unsteady "yes" was all he could manage.

The blonde boy furrowed his eyebrows, even more puzzled. Was that a term for something?

"And... -her narcolepsy?" The nurse fixed the paper under the metal clip again. "Is that still a problem for her?"

"Um," Yato hated when they referred to it with that word. It couldn't have been further from the truth.

"No, not really. She's been awake, but recently, she's been falling unconscious. And it's not because she's sleeping," he explained.

"I see…" the woman replied, sighing a bit. "Do you have contact information for her obstetrician?"

Yato ruffled his hair, laughing anxiously. "W-well... no. But if you call her brother, I think he knows."

Yukine felt innocent and useless watching the two converse. He was completely, utterly confused and lost. Although, he kept quiet and let them figure it out before he'd start questioning Yato.

"I see…" the woman replied again sympathetically. "Well, wait here. Her father is on his way. We'll try to get the ultrasound done as well. Please stay with her."

Yato and Yukine watched as the doctor and nurse bowed before leaving the room, closing the door behind them. The god immediately tensed, sensing Yukine's suspicion.

"The hell is 'trimester?' What's an 'ultrasound?' Why is her father getting involved? And why hasn't Hiyori been visiting us anymore?"

Yato sighed, placing his hand on his Regalia's shoulder. "Look, Yukine - I know this is a lot to understand-"

"Don't talk down to me," Yukine gently nudged Yato away.

"What?" Yato blinked. "I-I'm not talking down to you - you're just short!"

Yukine glared at his master. He crossed his arms, growing aggravated. "I'm serious. Tell me the truth. What's going on? We all know there's been something secretive going on between you n' Hiyori lately. Just spill it."

"Yukine…?" Yato's tone darkened, and he clenched his fist in response.

Yukine swallowed, feeling uneasy when he noticed the drastic change in Yato's attitude. Maybe he didn't want to find out the truth after all.

"It'll all make sense soon enough. But you need to promise me that what you learn in the next few minutes will not leave this room."

Yukine's fingers trembled.

"For Hiyori's safety, and my own. You will not talk about this. Okay?"