"A-are you gonna be okay?" Yukine asked, worry clear in his voice as he watched Yato place a soaked cloth to Hiyori's head.

Hiyori smiled weakly at him. "Oh, I'll be fine, Yukine-kun," she said, waving it off. "It's just a little morning sickness."

"How're you feeling now, sweetie?" The god asked, reaching out to close the toilet lid in front of her.

Hiyori let out a heavy sigh. "I'm exhausted."

She yawned and reached a sluggish arm out to grab Yato's arm, pulling him toward her. "C'mere…" she murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest.

The god blinked, looking down at her as she snuggled against him. His expression seemed to thaw, a warm smile forming across his face. He draped an arm around her.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "I gotcha…"

A few minutes passed as they sat on the bathroom floor before Yukine looked back at the lovers huddled together.

"Uh - I think she's asleep again," the blonde boy pointed out to his master, who glimpsed down at his lover in his arms.

Yato softly chuckled to himself. "Yeah," he whispered back. "I think you're right. Let's let her rest some more before her brother comes back later."

"Uh - right."

Yukine watched as his master scooped Hiyori up in his arms and carried her back to the hospital bed. She shifted and whined as he gently lay her down, tucking her in. As he retrieved his seat beside her bed, the god picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

. . . .

Hiyori noticed it immediately.

Yato had his odd antics and over-the-top personality, but this was entirely the opposite of that. She'd never seen him so quiet and distant.

Once she finally woke after her morning sickness, she saw Yato sitting beside her bed, holding her hand. However, he was in such deep thought that he hadn't even realized his lover was awake.

Even after gaining his attention, the god didn't have much to say, and his mind easily slipped away again. His expression hardened, his eyebrows came together in fixed concentration, and his eyes glazed over with a faraway stare. Eventually, Yato withdrew from his lover completely, and as the hours passed, he slowly made his way further and further away from her and his Regalia in physical proximity as well. He ceased to exist in any conversation, and didn't speak unless spoken to.

"Yato...?" Hiyori called softly to her lover sitting on the edge of the couch on the other side of the hospital room.

"Hm?" He answered, his gaze still fixated on the centerpiece on the table beside him.

"W-why don't you come sit over here with us?" She kindly suggested.

There was a short silence before he finally stood up. "Right…"

Yato came to sit beside Hiyori. She smiled weakly at him, but he hadn't acknowledged it. After a few minutes, he grew antsy. He stood from his seat, making his way to the foot of the bed, then sat on the windowsill, eventually finding his way right back to the couch all over again.

The half-Phantom sensed some anxiety from him. However, just knowing this was making her worried now, and she immediately turned to Yukine for answers.

"Did something happen?" She whispered to the blonde boy.

Yukine stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No idea," he answered, following Hiyori's gaze on the god.

"How long has he been like this?"

Yukine shrugged. "Dunno. He was kinda quiet yesterday, too, but it definitely wasn't anything like this."

"Hmm…" Hiyori hummed aloud, gently rubbing her small baby bump.

"I think he's fine." The boy told her. "I mean, he's just-..."

They glanced at Yato, sitting hunched over with his blank eyes stuck on the white floor tiles. He was barely flinching.

"Thinking," Yukine finished.

"About what?"

The blonde boy wandered over to the stack of magazines on the nightstand. "Who knows?" He replied, sounding bored.

This idea didn't help to settle Hiyori's nerves. She knew how deep into his mind Yato could travel, every minute causing him more harm than good. Maybe Yato was on edge, and closing himself off to keep calm. Something was gnawing at him.

Yukine didn't seem to think much of it, and continued to flip through yet another magazine.

. . . .

Once her father finally released her, Hiyori and her brother began walking home, along with Yato and Yukine. It didn't take long before Hiyori started to complain of fatigue and sore feet.

"Huh? Already?" Yukine blinked in slight surprise, coming to a halt as Hiyori and Masaomi stopped walking in front of them.

"It's alright. We can take a break if you need to," Masaomi suggested to his sister.

Hiyori looked over her shoulder at Yato, who was preoccupied suspiciously scanning the area. It almost seemed like he was expecting something.

Or was it someone?

The brunette looked back at her brother with a friendly smile. "I guess five minutes wouldn't hur-"

The blue-eyed god suddenly squeezed past them, grabbing Hiyori's wrist and pulling her away with him. "There's no time. Let's keep moving," he told them in a rather low tone.

"Wha-?" Hiyori worked to catch up with his brisk pace. "Yato! What's gotten into you?"

Yato didn't answer. Yukine and Masaomi quickly followed them.

By the time they all arrived at Masaomi's apartment complex, Hiyori was struggling to keep her legs steady. Her body ached, and her breathing was heavier. She nearly stumbled into her brother from behind, but he instinctively caught her by the shoulders.

"The hell's up with you?" Yukine asked his master, anger rising in his voice. "That wasn't cool, y'know."

Yato ignored him, scanned the area and carried on, making his way to the elevator. They had no choice but to go along with him, with Masaomi carefully following behind his sister.

Hiyori slipped her hand in with the god's to secure herself. She looked up at him - a bit worried - and saw some of his tension decrease. Although it didn't seem like he wanted to let his guard down so easily.

"Get your key out," Yato told Masaomi, then looked at his lover. "Stay close to me, Hiyori."

The siblings exchanged confused looks, but thought it best to oblige. Once they reached the second floor, Masaomi readied his apartment keys and Hiyori stayed by the god's side, holding herself against his arm.

They walked up to Masaomi's door, and he continued to unlock it, which seemed to take a few seconds too long for Yato as he groaned in frustration. When they finally got inside - even before Masaomi had the chance to close the door behind them - Yato suddenly pulled away from Hiyori and marched around the apartment. He pulled down the shades on every window, opened every door, and checked over, under, and behind every piece of furniture.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous," Yukine muttered as the three of them watched in utter shock and disbelief.

"Is he...- alright?" Masaomi raised an eyebrow in confusion, watching Yato pace back and forth between the rooms.

"Let me," Hiyori volunteered. "You two go on and settle in."

The brunette wandered away to follow the god into her brother's guest bedroom, but as soon as she reached the doorway, Yato had already been rushing out. This nearly caused him to collide with Hiyori, who took a cautious step back. Yato quickly came to a halt, alarm on his face. He backed away, allowing her to come into the room. She closed the door behind her, giving them some privacy.

"H-Hiyori?" He blinked, unsure of what was going on.

"Yato."

"Hiyori, open the door." He tried reaching for the doorknob, but she blocked him in. "Please, I have to-"

"Yato."

She gave him a strict expression, and Yato suddenly became silent and froze. Knowing she had his full attention now, Hiyori spoke.

"What's been bothering you?" She asked, rather too quickly for him to comprehend.

"W-what?" Yato blinked, then nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I'm just-..."

He then hung his head in shame, avoiding her gaze.

"Just what?" Hiyori asked, her voice softening. She held out her hand as she carefully approached him.

"I'm just...-" he began again, softer this time, "trying to be prepared."

Hiyori's hand stopped where it was before it could reach him. She seemed even more clueless. "'Prepared?' For what?"

Yato scoffed and shook his head. "Nothing. Nevermind."

The half-Phantom sighed, trying to think of a solution. Then her nature brightened a bit. She walked away from her lover, heading toward her brother's bed to sit down.

"Come here," she insisted, using a gentle tone.

The god lifted his head to see her smiling at him. He knew he couldn't refuse, and so he slowly headed over to sit beside her.

"Take off your boots. And your jacket," she told him, folding her legs on the bed.

Yato obeyed her, tossing his shoes and jersey aside, leaving him in his white T-shirt.

Hiyori grinned warmly at him. "Now, sit across from me and take my hands."

Again, Yato didn't resist. "W-what's-...?" His words trailed off as he observed their sitting position.

"Let's try some breathing techniques. It'll help you," Hiyori finally told him, to which he just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"It'll also be good for the baby," she added, knowing it was sure to get his attention.

It proved to work as Yato's expression thawed, his cheeks turning pink. He couldn't refuse to that fact. "Uh - right. O-okay."

Hiyori smiled to herself, secretly counting her victories. "Close your eyes, and just focus on your breathing. Deep breath in, hold it for three seconds, and then let it out."

Yato slightly tightened his grip on her hands, his eyes fluttering shut. He listened to Hiyori's breathing before doing the same.

He didn't know why, but hearing their breaths coming together in unison made his heart flutter. This moment was suddenly almost as similar as the moment they made love - the moment they were one. And now, with their synced breathing and shared state of peace, it was as if they were one again.

Just as they'd both exhaled, Yato removed one of his hands from Hiyori's, reaching out to cup her face. She didn't so much as flinch or open her eyes, trusting her lover's next move.

The god gently pulled her face closer to his, aligning their lips. It was a gentle, loving kiss, enough to cause her chest to leap.

She carefully leaned backwards into the mattress. Yato followed her down, keeping their lips locked. Their laced hands were placed above Hiyori's head against the sheets.

They would have continued a little longer if it hadn't been from the fact they heard the door creak open. The room then filled with light.

"Hey, do you two-?"

The couple quickly withdrew from each other, whipping their heads around to find Hiyori's brother standing with a dark pink face. "Uh - y-y'know what? I'll figure it out. D-don't mind me!"

With that, Masaomi slammed the door behind him out of embarrassment. The lovers stared at the door, baffled by what had just happened.

. . . .

Yato snuck out of Masaomi's bedroom, where Hiyori had already been fast asleep. He snuck past the guest room, where his Regalia was snoozing. Finally, he made it past Masaomi, who'd fallen asleep on the couch with the flickering TV on.

Once he successfully retreated from the apartment, the god made his way to sit down on the stairs of the complex. He pulled out his flip phone from his pocket, immediately reviewing his texts.

There was one in particular that Yato hadn't been able to forget since he first read it.

'Challenge accepted, Yaboku.'