I just have to buy some time. The God of Calamity thought to himself. And hopefully get some answers about what he knows.
"Why so quiet?" His father asked. "Won't you talk to me? It's not polite to ignore your father."
Yato didn't turn around to see who it was. He didn't need to. It was his father - that was obvious - but he immediately recognized the voice to be Hiyori's old schoolmate, Fujisaki Koto. And the fact that he knew him as so didn't help to prevent his anger from boiling.
"And what exactly do you expect me to say?" Yato retorted, slightly looking at him over his shoulder.
Father snickered. "We can start with you telling me why you're here."
Yato scoffed back. "I have my reasons."
Just keep him away from Hiyori and Yukine. He can't touch them.
There was a moment of silence, almost as if his father seemed to consider his answer. "I see…" he said at last. "So you're not going to tell me."
Father stared at Yato, whose back was still facing him. The god didn't speak. His father sighed, but it sounded fake.
"So, it wouldn't have anything to do with you n' Hiyori-chan?" He sang in a taunting tone.
Yato could practically hear the shit-eating grin on his face. His skin was hot with fury. He finally spun around on his heel, ending up face-to-face with the man he hated the most.
"Ahhh! There it is!" Father smirked.
"What do you want?" Yato asked, his tone becoming dark and his eyes shaded from his bangs.
Father leaned against the doorway and folded his arms hastily. "If anything, I should ask you that same question. You came to me first."
Yato's voice caught in his throat as he realized what his mistake was. He decided to play it safe and remain silent. The god wasn't sure if his panic was clear on his face, but his father continued to talk.
"Speaking of, where has Hiyori-chan been? I haven't seen her at school for almost two whole months now!" He said with fake astonishment. "You wouldn't happen to know exactly where she is - would you, son?"
Yato tightened his fist until his veins popped out. He spoke, but his words came out sounding strangled between the scraping of his teeth. "She-... she dropped out to help her parents at the hospital. The hospital you destroyed before nearly killing her."
Father chuckled in response, seeing Yato's fuse bursting. "That wasn't me. If Hiyori-chan hadn't threatened me, maybe it would never have happened."
"Why can't you just leave them alone?" Yato's low voice rumbled.
His fierce blue eyes narrowed down with anger, and his pupils sharpened like a cat's. However, this only appeared to please his father, who cracked another twisted smile in his direction. The two of them stood there, quietly challenging each other.
Then there was the sound of the cabin's front door sliding open. A few masked purple wolves rushed to Father's side, panting hungrily. When they noticed the god, they started chanting in unison.
"Lord Yato!" "Lord Yato." "Lord Yato!"
Followed by the pack, Nora entered. When she did, she stopped in her tracks when she noticed him.
"You're back."
"Yeah. I am." Yato replied coldly, his eyes still sharpened like a dagger as he looked at them.
"What brings you here?" Nora asked, holding the sleeve of her kimono up to her mouth.
"He won't say," their father answered, grinning. "Apparently-" he glanced at Yato out of the corner of his eye, "it's a big secret."
The tone in his voice, and the look in his eyes. His father was teasing him - he knew he was. However, Yato wouldn't give in so easily.
After receiving nothing much stillness and silence from the god, his father sighed out of boredom.
Yato noticed one of the wolves started sniffing the air around the room. It stepped towards Yato's futon, sticking its snout under the pillow.
The ultrasound photo!
Suddenly, he felt panic rise inside of him. He quickly went to shove the wolf away with his foot.
"Oi! Get outta here!" Yato snapped at it.
"Don't be so cruel, Yaboku."
Yato stepped out of the bedroom, sliding the door shut behind him. "Don't be such an asshole-"
Suddenly, as he was walking past his father, Yato felt a foot slip right out in front of his ankle. Just when he was taking a step forward, he lost his balance because of that small obstacle in his path. The god gasped and came violently crashing down on the wooden floor beside Nora and his father. The masked Phantoms all scattered at the sound of his body hitting the ground.
Yato used a shaky hand to lift himself up. As soon as he did, there was the strong taste of iron in his mouth, and wetness rushing out of his nose. As he lay in shock on the floor, he turned to look at his father standing over him. Yato's vision was blurry for a second, but it was difficult to miss the displeased expression on Father's face.
"Shameful of you to speak to your father that way. Especially when you know you can't reincarnate." Father folded his arms, a wicked grin creeping up on his face. "Or did you want me to test it out like you tried to do with me?"
Any shred of confidence or anger Yato had built up in that moment was suddenly lost. He found his mind racing with fear.
"No, Dad. S-sorry," he swallowed hard.
His father straightened up and smiled at his answer. "Good. Now go clean your face. I'll be making dinner."
"H-hai," Yato mumbled, scrambling to his feet and hurrying into the bathroom in the back of the cabin.
He shut the door tightly behind him, slumping down to the floor with his back to the door. Yato reached for a nearby cloth and wiped the blood from his nose.
The realization of his decision to come back suddenly hit him, and a fear like he'd never felt struck inside him. He grappled his kimono tightly over his chest as he started to gasp for air. He felt beams of sweat run down his temple, and the world around him was spinning and losing color.
C'mon, get a hold of yourself! You're doing this for them. You're about to be a dad soon. Then, you won't ever have to answer to him again.
Yato raked his fingers through his hair, tugging his bangs until his scalp was sore.
. . . .
Yato silently sat at the kotatsu, staring down at his bowl of steaming soup and teriyaki chicken. He looked over at Nora, sitting beside him, while his father sat straight across from him.
"So, Mizuchi-" Father began, suddenly becoming cheerful and friendly, "how was your day today?"
Nora answered despite sharing his level of enthusiasm. "It was alright. I took the pets for a stroll and watered the flowers outside."
"Ahh, that's wonderful!" Father grinned, aggressively petting Nora's hair as if she was a new puppy. She didn't mind it too much and continued to eat.
Yato rolled his eyes at his father's obvious roleplaying. He picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and examined it suspiciously. When deemed unworthy, Yato tossed it over his shoulder for the wolves to eat. The masked Phantoms then continued to fight for it.
"Yaboku," his father called, noticing him playing with his food. "Why don't you try eating it? There wouldn't be any point in me poisoning it. You're a god, after all."
Yato sighed, flipping his chicken over mindlessly. "If only it were that easy," he mumbled.
Father chuckled softly. Then, he tapped the empty seat beside him. "C'mere. Sit closer to me, son."
Yato glanced up from his plate, to his father, to the open spot next to him. He cringed in response. "I don't need to see or hear you more than I already can," he replied, disgusted.
"Okay, fine. Be that way." His father replied rudely, his smile quickly fading.
The room went quiet. Yato drank his soup slowly and eventually finished his chicken. He started twirling his water in his cup as he lost himself in deep thought.
"...-boku. Yaboku?"
Yato blinked and lifted his head in his father's direction as his senses returned to him. "Huh? What?"
His father groaned and rolled his eyes. "I said that your first assignment will be tomorrow. Be prepared by noon."
Yato felt his throat tighten, and his fingers ran cold. He almost forgot that was part of the deal. But there still wasn't any way he could let that happen.
In just a few short months, Yato would hold his newborn daughter. What kind of person would he be if he bloodied his hands before then? Hiyori and Yukine were depending on him. He couldn't fail them.
"Um…" the god shifted uncomfortably in his seat by the kotatsu, avoiding his father's eyes. "R-right. Well, about that... I-I…"
"Spit it out," Father interrupted.
"I don't wanna hurt anyone anymore," Yato finally said before he could back out.
Father glared at him, and the suspenseful silence was long enough to terrify Yato out of his mind. He felt Nora's tension on top of his own.
In his father's terms, this was not okay. No one should ever refuse his commands. This was entirely new - Yato didn't know what to expect.
"I see…" He finally answered, and his dark, mysterious tone sent chills down Yato's back. "Then, why are you here, Yaboku…?"
Yato stiffened, his eyes widening in fear. He didn't answer.
Father flipped a switch. Suddenly, instead of his crooked scowl, he grinned and began to chuckle. "Maybe we can just talk about it later? You're excused!"
Yato was taken aback by this strange response. He knew this sudden change in behavior didn't bode well, but wasn't willing to test it. So, the god quickly rose from his seat and hurried to his room down the hall.
Once he exited the room, Nora looked at her father with confusion. "You will not punish him?"
"This is his punishment. Remember, Mizuchi?" He told her joyfully. "I've separated him from the people he cares about most, and Yaboku is the key to his own misery. He will change his mind about this. It's just a minor inconvenience, but we already have something worked out for him."
. . . .
Yato released a shaky breath and collapsed into his futon. He waited a painfully long time until he heard the sound of footsteps and doors sliding open before closing. That was when the god was positive he was safe. He reached his hand under his pillow, pulling out the black-and-white photo of his unborn child. A small, warm smile crept on his face while he traced the outline of the baby's shape on the paper.
"That's right. You still need a name, huh?" He tiredly whispered to the photo. "I'll come up with something…"
His eyes grew heavy, and his mind became distant. Soon enough, Yato had fallen asleep.
