His body felt heavier than the burden of his sins as he lay there on the sofa, motionless. He could hardly will his eyelids to open and allow him to see.
The god thought he would have been desensitized to his father's constant punishments, but it was proving difficult this time.
Am I just… weaker than I thought…?
Suddenly, there was no room to collect his thoughts. Yato was met with a nearly blinding headache, choking back his next breath of air.
And then, with his senses gradually returning to him, his ears focused on voices. Familiar voices, familiar people.
"...-lying outside my door. I almost thought he was dead for a second there."
"He can't be dead before he gets a good ass-whooping from me!"
"Easy, Yukine. Where is he?"
There she was - that voice. His lover. Her angelic voice sounded like fragile glass, with desperation and anxiety building - had she been crying?
If he could feel his limbs - or open his mouth - his excitement could've been visible in that moment. He felt tears sting his eyes.
"He's on the couch over there. I'll go get the first-aid kit," Yato heard before the sound of footsteps leading into another room nearby.
Then there were footsteps nearing him. Quick and panicked.
Something like a bag of many contents hit the floor, followed by stunned silence.
"Oh, gods…!"
The god felt his fingertips tingle. A warm weight filled his hand, combining with him. He felt his eyelids lift enough to see, just barely able to make out the delicate shape of a person beside him. The second he did, immediate white light suddenly invaded his sight before he surrendered back to the darkness. A slight migraine formed in his head.
"Hiy-... Hiyori…" he gasped between jagged breaths.
"It's okay, it's okay," she whispered gently. "Don't move. I'm right here…"
Hiyori knew instantly. This wasn't only a punishment; it was a warning. A warning for Yato, Yukine - and for her.
Father was telling her to back off. She had gotten too close to Yato. With his physical suffering came her own mental suffering.
However, Hiyori also realized that this didn't change how she felt about him. None of Father's hideous "hints" ever did. She would be with Yato until her life would reach its end.
She especially couldn't allow anger to prevent Yato's recovery. So she would hold back those conversations until he was back on his feet.
Or at least - that's what Hiyori believed she could do. But Yato had a tendency to run his mouth.
. . . .
Yato rested against the bathtub, laying on the chilled tiles of the bathroom floor with nothing but his boxers on. Yukine was busy emptying the water bottles of shrine water into one bucket to soak washcloths into.
Masaomi stared down at the plain bucket of water before glancing at the half-conscious god stained in purple and red over half of his body.
"So," he began, still in shock at Yato's injuries, "this 'Blight' you say? Some water can seriously cure it?"
"Yeah," Yukine answered, dipping a towel into the bucket. "And it can sting you, too, so don't touch it."
"R-right…" the young man replied, attempting to gather his thoughts.
There was a gentle knock at the door behind Masaomi. "Can I come in?"
The door slid open, revealing the three boys. The brother moved aside to allow his sister to cross into the bathroom.
With Masaomi as support, Hiyori carefully knelt down beside Yato. Once settled, Yukine handed her a wet rag.
Hiyori caught the god's twitching face, and her heart filled with grief. "This is gonna hurt, but you'll feel better soon. Okay…?"
The girl gently placed the rag to his burning face, pressing her hand to his cheek. Yato hissed, sucking in his breath.
They both continued to drag the washcloths against Yato's bare skin. Yukine caught a few heartbroken glances that Hiyori was passing to the god, who was wincing in pain as his head hung over the side of the bathtub behind him. He decided to stay silent and keep healing his master.
Somewhere in between the mess, Masaomi had retreated to the kitchen. He decided it was best to keep a distance to not overwhelm them.
The dire situation seemed to calm down when Yato's breathing finally stabilized. With bloody washcloths and no remaining gauze, the two decided it was enough. Yato was clear, except for the multiple bruises and cuts that remained.
Yukine lifted the bucket of water over the edge of the tub, releasing the water and draining it. When he continued to retrieve the contents of the first aid-kit off the floor, the Regalia caught Hiyori rubbing her shoulder and back with a pained face as she stared down at her lap.
"Are... -you okay, Hiyori?" The blonde boy asked, concern building in his voice.
"Hmm?" The brunette lifted her head, seeing her worried friend. "O-oh, yes. I'm just a bit sore and tired is all…"
"Oh…" Yukine stood up, placing the kit back in the bathroom cabinet.
"I'm gonna go see if his clothes are dry," he said, to which the girl nodded and watched him exit the bathroom.
The god released a heavy sigh behind her. Hiyori immediately stiffened, suddenly realizing that they had been left alone together.
There was silence. Then - the inevitable happened.
Hiyori met his blue orbs as they peeked out of his exhausted expression.
"Hiyori…" he let out, sucking in his breath again to gain slight strength.
Please. Don't start now.
"If you're going to try apologizing again, at least make it sound believable," Hiyori interrupted, hoping he picked up on her sharp tone.
"Hiyori," Yato breathed out again, "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you…"
The half-Phantom felt a lump forming in her throat. She quickly swallowed it.
Did he just suddenly expect her to forgive him just because he "didn't mean to?" It would take a lot more than simple, overused words to bring her back to him.
The young girl bit her tongue. She kept quiet and turned away from the god, her shoulder radiating a low temperature in his direction.
Yato caught her message, and he quickly stopped. He didn't understand what it was exactly that he'd said to warrant that reaction, but he believed he couldn't harm her by going mute.
The stillness between the both of them finally gave Yato enough time to awaken completely. His other senses were coming back to him. And now - without the screaming pain paving its way in his head - he could think.
The god cleared his throat, signaling conversation. He saw Hiyori twitch.
"Is-..." he began, his voice small but clear with worry and softness. "Is she okay…?"
Hiyori remained still, only moving to turn her face away from him. Yato was already reaching out, his shaky hand coming to rest against her rounded stomach. His deep blue eyes had fixated on the perfectly smooth bulge of her bump, and something similar to a daydreaming child played out behind his face.
His fingertips gently landed against her stomach before fully pressing his palm carefully against their unborn baby. The god released something mixed between a breath and a laugh of relief.
That was when his eyes lifted to catch his lover's reaction. She almost cringed, refusing to find his gaze.
"She's…- she's fine." Her tone was bitter, still matching her body language.
Hiyori felt his hand withdraw completely from her body. Yato cleared his throat awkwardly.
And he tried again.
"She's gotten bigger, huh?" He laughed weakly, hoping to rid the thick air.
However, his choice of words had the wrong effect.
"Well, goodness - I wonder why, Yato!" The half-Phantom left up from the bathroom stool she had been seated on.
Her face was suddenly a dark pink, her eyes shaking as tears threatened to spill over to her cheeks.
How dare he play so ignorant? To hell with mercy! He has to be held accountable for his actions.
"You were gone for weeks!" She choked out through the tears. "So I'm sorry if it's 'been a while.'"
Shock, fear and emotion played out over Yato's face as he observed Hiyori rant in front of him. His hand hovered in midair between them, as if attempting to offer some sort of intangible peace in her direction.
"H-Hiyori…"
The girl succumbed to her sadness at the sound of his voice. She brought both her hands to her face as she let out a shaky sob, stepping away from him as he sat up from the floor to get a hold of her.
Hiyori just shook her head, refusing to listen. She retreated to the other room.
"Hiyori?" another voice called out of Yato's sight.
He immediately recognized it as Yukine's.
"Hiyori, what're you doing? Where are you going?"
That caught the god's attention. With concern peaked, he sat upright and scrambled to his feet, hurrying to the open bathroom door. He stumbled to his knees, catching himself in the doorframe. He winced, feeling his insides tremble and beg for mercy. His torment was quickly a memory once his eyes laid upon the brunette standing by the apartment door with her coat, kicking on her shoes.
"I just need some air," she answered with a sniffle, facing away from both of them.
"W-wait a second!" Yukine panicked. "I'll go with you!"
"No," another voice joined in, causing everyone to turn and look. "I'll go."
Masaomi stepped out from around the corner, approaching his sister. "You two stay here. We'll be back soon," he told the god and his Regalia.
Hiyori stayed quiet, appearing satisfied with this solution. Masaomi followed her out after putting on his shoes.
. . . . .
The darkness was beginning to surround the city. With only a navy blue hue remaining in the sky, the street lights were starting to glisten and show the walkways.
The occasion car would pass by, but mostly, it seemed everyone had retired for the night. The two siblings walked side-by-side, the soles of their shoes creating a soft scraping noise against the paved tiles of the sidewalk.
Masaomi remained silent, allowing Hiyori to organize her thoughts as she stared ahead with a distant, troubled face. Her brother sighed, feeling that low expression was quite worn on her already.
"You're going to have to talk to him, y'know," Masaomi spoke, finally breaking the tension.
He heard a grumble next to him. The young man tilted his head over to catch his sister's displeased reaction.
"I'd rather cut my own Cord off," Hiyori exclaimed with disgust as she crinkled her nose.
Masaomi blinked at her, clearly confused. "What?"
Hiyori rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat. "Nothing."
"I didn't say it had to be anytime soon. But none of it will be solved unless you listen and talk to him," Masaomi pointed out.
"Yeah, I know - I know…" Hiyori huffed out, rubbing her stomach through her coat.
Maybe she still could mend their relationship.
If they still had love-
"Yato doesn't love you."
"He is unfamiliar with such emotion."
"'Your god' does not belong to you, and you alone."
"You gave yourself to him and got pregnant in an attempt to anchor him down into staying with you forever."
If there was still trust-
"Did he 'not know', or did he simply dance around the question and only tell you what he thought you wanted to hear?"
"Or there could be more to the story."
"It seems like the only person he was really trying to hide it from was you."
Was there even hope?
"Would you be willing to risk your humanity - and with it, your memories - for this, 'Yatogami?'"
"If you yearn for Yatogami so much, you won't see him after you die prematurely."
"Any outcome would not be a pleasant one."
Hiyori groaned to herself. Her head felt like messy static.
. . . .
"Ahck!"
Yato's head fell back as he hissed in pain. His foot had made contact with the living room furniture.
"Well, if you would pick up your feet a lil' more, we wouldn't both be struggling!" Yukine snapped at him.
"Everything hurts," the god whined, his arm draped around his Blessed Vessel for support as they both made their way back to the couch.
"Maybe if you didn't run away to your father, you wouldn't be in pain right now," the blonde boy pointed out bitterly.
Yato collapsed on the sofa once they reached it, a grunt escaping his lips as he caught himself against the cushions. He cringed at the sharp aching from his injuries.
"How do you know I was with my dad?" Yato asked between slight panting.
Yukine scoffed. "'The hell you mean? Look at you!"
The god groaned once more, placing his head down on the pillow beside him. He closed his eyes, exhaustion hitting him.
"Did-..." He breathed out, attempting to mentally numb out the agony flowing through him, "did Hiyori say anything to you? You stayed here with her, right…?"
Yato quickly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. It only lasted a few seconds before it subsided. However, it was enough for him to react, grasping his chest through his white T-shirt.
It was soon after that Yato realized what that new sensation was. It had been from his Regalia.
I did it. I said something wrong. Again...
He hesitantly peeked through one eye, a blue orb finding the blonde kid standing a foot away from him.
Yukine was not pleased. He stared at his master with disbelief and disgust.
"Seriously?!" He scoffed at the pitiful god. "Is all you can think about Hiyori? Don't you know that you left other people behind, too?"
Oh… That'swhat it's about. Now that we're alone, he's letting his feelings show.
"I mean, I get it-" Yukine continued, breaking Yato out of his current thoughts, "she's not from the Far Shore - and then, there's your baby - but there's other people who were trying to figure out why you were gone, and-"
"Yukine."
With both eyes open now, Yato had interrupted him just as he noticed the emotion in his voice was growing, and his own anger was causing him physical discomfort.
"I'm-..." He sat up, taking a deep breath before turning to face the boy again, "I'm sorry. Really. I owe you that apology - I know."
His tone had completely turned around. His voice was lower, speaking somberly. The fist resting by his side clenched with frustration.
Yukine recognized this emotion, understanding the anger was directed towards himself. Yato had a bad habit of beating himself up, even when he was not immediately responsible.
"I owe the same apology to Hiyori. Problem is; a simple 'sorry' won't fix it for us. Her n' I have plenty of things we have to talk about. She might even try to break up-"
Yukine stood there with his arms crossed. "We're back on the topic of Hiyori again," he said, sounding impatient.
A sigh slipped from the god's lips as he repositioned himself. There was no mistaking the serious tone in his blue eyes as he made straight eye contact with his Regalia.
"The point I'm trying to make, Yukine," Yato began, "in the outcome that me n' Hiyori decide not to be together anymore, you'll be hurt - I know you will. You care about Hiyori, too. She's your good friend, and she was there since your beginning. If I hurt her, I hurt you. And to keep that from happening, I need to make this all up to her. Okay?"
As he explained, Yukine's face loosened. His orange eyes softened, and his arms unfolded.
"But I need your help, Yukine."
"Huh? Me?" He blinked, pointing to himself.
Yato nodded. "You're my Guidepost. If I make a wrong move somehow, stop me. Kick my ass if you have to - but no matter what happens, I'm gonna make sure this family is safe and happy."
Yukine's attitude retreated. He became quiet as he seemed to consider Yato's words. He stared down at the floor in thought. He opened his mouth to respond, but in that moment, there was the sound of a key unlocking the front door.
The apartment door swung open. "We're back!" Masaomi's voice then called.
The two appeared around the corner, carrying bags with containers of sushi, rice and noodles. There was also some dessert to ease Hiyori's sugar cravings.
"Ah! You guys brought food!" Yukine gaped at the steaming food as they pulled them from the bags and placed them on the table.
"Yeah. My fridge isn't stocked at the moment," Masaomi explained. "I'll stop by to get groceries tomorrow."
Hiyori sighed in relief as she found a seat by the dining table. "My feet are killing me," she mumbled.
"Remember to take your medicine," her brother reminded as he handed two containers towards Yukine.
"Mm-hm," she muttered lazily before stuffing her mouth with sushi.
The Regalia came back to his master's side. Yato retrieved his food from Yukine as he held it out towards him.
"O-oh, thanks…" he murmured.
The blonde boy sat down on a chair beside him to eat.
Yato picked up his chopsticks, holding his food in his lap. Just as a piece of sushi was halfway to his lips, he caught an undeniable feeling he was being watched. He lowered his tray, turned to see Hiyori staring directly at him a few feet away. Her face turned red, and she quickly dropped her gaze back down to her meal on the table in front of her.
The god's surprise drained from his face, replaced by a pitiful one as he continued to stare in thought. It didn't take long for his Blessed Vessel to notice his distracted behavior.
I have to talk to her.
Despite his troublesome injuries, Yato rose from the couch and set aside his food. Yukine glanced up at him as he passed by.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Yato came to a sudden halt. "Huh?" He looked over his shoulder.
Yukine rolled his eyes. "You want my advice?"
He lowered his voice so only Yato could hear. "Give her some space until she's calmed down, and you can figure out what you want to say."
The god groaned. "Why can't I just talk to her now? What if she thinks I'm avoiding her?" He whispered back, presenting worry in his eyes.
"No." The boy strictly answered. "You need to heal up. If you thought I was mean, just wait till you face her."
"Yukine, c'mon...!"
"No," he repeated sternly.
The ocean of blue connected with the vast orange skies of the sunset. The colors used to complement each other well. Until the bright glow of the sunset overcame the beautiful seas, and the skies transformed into flames too powerful to be tamed.
Yato moaned in frustration, finally tearing himself from Yukine's glare. He threw his hands over his face in misery.
"Think carefully about it 'cause she'll chew you up n' spit you out...!" Yukine said quietly before returning to eating.
Yato retreated back to his couch cushions, stealing one last glance at his lover. His head hung low as he finished his meal.
He had come to terms with the fact that, one way or the other, his mistakes were bound to catch up to him.
