The world seemed to stop and blur for a minute, and Yasumi slipped off her mattress and onto the floor with the phone still pressed to her ear.

"Yasumi-chan? Hello?"

"Y-yes, I'm still here, Aunt Reiko," she said, dizzy. "I'm just... confused. Dad... he was always so normal. You're saying he was an exorcist?!"

Her aunt laughed.

"No, probably not," Reiko explained. "Having an excess of yin energy doesn't necessarily mean someone has all the qualities of an exorcist. It would still take training and instruction to properly call oneself that. Of course, I certainly wasn't close enough to Koichi-san to definitively say he didn't come from a family of active exorcists. It's entirely possible that Koichi-san was trained to some degree, but frankly I believe his ignorance of Hana-chan's Sight meant that he was a normal person with a gift he knew nothing about. But you, Yasumi-chan... I think you're different."

"That doesn't make any sense! If Dad's... gift, or whatever it is... is blocking my Sight, doesn't that just mean the two bloodlines are cancelling each other out?" she asked, feeling a headache coming on. "Isn't that the same thing as being completely normal?"

"If you had asked me two days ago, I would have said you were right. I never would have thought you would be the one picked by Ame-san's spell. I have been aware of your curious disposition since you were a child, but like you, I assumed it meant you would simply lack spiritual power. But the fact that the spell has chosen you tells me otherwise. Ame-san cannot survive bonded to a host that has no ability at all; it's by using our abilities that she can hide her aura and indefinitely keep up her barrier. If it were true that your gifts cancel one another out completely, then you could not possibly be the best choice to succeed me. Yet you were chosen, and you have seen and spoken with Amagiri-no-Mikoto and his Regalia, You've even managed to sustain your memories of them on your own. That alone is proof that you are capable of living on the Boundary despite your naturally powerful inclination toward the Near Shore. You would not be able to do that if you did not possess incredibly powerful Sight."

Yasumi sighed, a familiar pressure building up behind her eyes. She rubbed her temple tiredly. "Even if that's true, Auntie, what does that have to do with anything? Yukine already told me that they're sure I'm the next host for Ame; as long as I can do what you've done for the last fifty years, what does it matter if I'm stronger or weaker than the rest of the clan? I'll be another link in the chain is all. Someone will succeed me too, eventually."

"Well... perhaps so," Reiko admitted. "It may just be the wishful thinking of an old, lonely woman, but... I believe there's more to it than that. I sense something of fate in this."

"Fate?" Yasumi asked, skeptical. "Auntie, I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"But you believe in gods?" her aunt asked, and Yasumi thought there was a hint of amusement in her warm voice.

"Well... I didn't, before," Yasumi admitted. "I'm still not sure I do, to be honest."

"Even though you've met and seen one with your own eyes?"

"... I know saying this aloud is rude and disrespectful, Aunt Reiko, but... Yatogami isn't exactly what I expected from a god. He's... hard to pin down."

Yasumi expected to get scolded for her candor but for some reason, her Aunt just chuckled.

"Let me guess, he was very... mercurial, wasn't he? Like a different person from one moment to the next?"

"Y-Yeah! But... I though you said you didn't remember him?!" Yasumi exclaimed, surprised.

"Oh I don't," Reiko admitted. "Truthfully the only thing about him that has stayed with me all these years is the impression that he was quite handsome. And I only remember that because I was about eleven years old and it was the first time I'd ever felt so flustered by a man. I couldn't even tell you what he looked like anymore."

Yasumi bit back a snort. Pretty face though he might be, there was so much else about Yato that raised immediate alarms; Yasumi couldn't imagine ever actually being affected by his looks. Still, she supposed it had to have worked at least once, if he had a girlfriend even now.

"If you don't remember, how do you know what he was like, Auntie?"

"It's not that I know what Amagiri-no-Mikoto himself is like, Yasumi-chan; it's that all gods are unpredictable and difficult for those of us from the Near Shore to understand. Ame-san is perhaps a little less difficult that most, but even she sometimes does or says things that betray her. You mustn't ever forget that while gods may seem and even act human at first glance, they are not. Gods are not bound by human morality or reason. They are sinless. Do you understand what that means?" Reiko asked.

"Doesn't it just mean that they're righteous?" Yasumi said, frowning. She'd heard Yukine say something of that sort before.

"No, Yasumi-chan," her aunt said firmly. "It means that gods can do whatever they like. Whether it's stealing, lying, or even killing, there is no such thing as a sin for a god. They can do no wrong, even when they do things humans consider horrendous."

A cold shiver traveled down Yasumi's spine. What was it that Yukine had said to her the other day?

"Yato hasn't hurt humans in a long while."

She'd thought about it then, but didn't quite grasp it. If he hadn't hurt humans in a while... that meant he had hurt people in the past. It wasn't entirely a shock; that bloodlust in his expression when he threatened her was no bluff. Yasumi knew instinctively, then and now, that Yato truly would have killed her with impunity if he thought she represented a real problem. It wouldn't even have mattered that she was Ame's next host; clearly protecting the goddess he was dating was higher on his priority list than any job.

"But... if that's true," Yasumi said, more frightened than she wanted to admit. "What stops gods from killing and hurting people just because they feel like it?"

"Sometimes, nothing does," her aunt said matter-of-factly. "In some religions, gods are almighty, omnipotent creators, but the Shinto deities are passionate and driven by their base natures; it isn't strange for them to act in ways that humans find abhorrent or frightening. There are many stories about gods who have slain the living in their wrath or indifference. It's only through the guidance of the living, and of those who were once alive, the Regalia, that gods learn and understand order. That is how they attain nigimitama and become more than vengeful spirits. At least, that's what Ame-san has told me about the topic in the past," she admitted. "I cannot pretend to understand the intricacies of the relationship between gods and their retainers."

"Regalia... teach gods?" Yasumi said slowly. "Even though they're the servants?"

Aunt Reiko made a thoughtful humming noise. "You are too young to understand this, Yasumi-chan, but the relationship between parent and child always goes both ways. Parents raise their children, but children also teach their parents many important lessons as they grow. I believe it's not so different between gods and their Regalia."

Yukine had talked about Yato as though the god were his father. A difficult, annoying father, perhaps, but a parent figure nonetheless. And yet... Yasumi had also noticed that Yukine acted as Yato's limiter. He'd mentioned that Yato listened to him when it mattered, and that he had to be the one to stop his master in the event he did something he shouldn't. Hadn't the boy literally thrown himself in between Yato and Yasumi when it looked like he might attack her? And hadn't Yato immediately relaxed when he did?

"... Is that what it means to be a 'guidepost?'" Yasumi wondered aloud.

"A guidepost?"

"Yato called his Regalia that."

"Hmm, yes, perhaps. It seems appropriate. Without Regalia, a god would not know the difference between right or wrong."

"... Doesn't that mean that without Yukine around... Yatogami would be free to kill whoever he wanted, whenever he felt like it?"

"Not necessarily," her aunt said. "Amagiri-no-Mikoto is a war god, yes, but like all gods, he has more than one title. Ame-san has called him a god of fortune in passing, and that seems to correlate with the few stories we have of him. If he wields his sword in order to protect others, his true nature may be a gentle one."

"... I'm not sure I'd call him gentle in any capacity," Yasumi said frankly. "Speaking to him is like dealing with a tiger pretending to be a kitten. If you let your guard down..."

Her aunt clicked her tongue, not unlike Noriaki had earlier.

"Don't be rude, child. It may be true, but you should still take care not to antagonize your protectors."

Yasumi winced, ashamed.

"...Sorry, you're right, Aunt Reiko," she admitted guiltily.

"Now then," her aunt said slowly. "We've wandered a bit from the topic, I'm afraid, and our time runs short. I fear that if I do not tell you this now, I may lose my chance to ever do so."

"Tell me what?" Yasumi asked, a bit alarmed by great-aunt's shift in tone.

"About fate. Yours, and Ame-san's too."

There was a pause, and something about the silence seemed to crackle with a mysterious energy. Yasumi was reminded somehow of the spell Yato had cast around them when he spoke to her at the school.

As if the space around me no longer exists in the realm of the living, she gulped, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Or... as if I no longer exist there.

"Truthfully, I have always had a sense for this sort of thing," Reiko continued. "I couldn't say if it's because I have spent most of my life tied to the soul of a god, or if it's simply my own ability, but for as long as I can remember, I have always had... impressions about people and events, often before they happen. Today, when I learned that you were to be my successor, I sensed something about you. This is what I wished to tell you before I forget everything, Yasumi-chan, the real reason I asked Noriaki to contact you.

"I don't know why, or how, but... somehow, I believe that you, you, with your unique constitution and spiritual power... Perhaps you may just be the one to break the curse of fate on this family."


"Yukine, we need to talk."

Yato stood in the doorway to the loft, his hands deep in his pockets and his face drawn. Yukine looked up from his homework and glanced at Hiyori, fast asleep on the futon at his side, and then back up at his master.

"Just me?" he asked, wondering what had happened to make Yato look so conflicted and serious.

"Yeah," Yato nodded. "Come with me for a bit."

Yukine got to his feet and paused to check on Hiyori for a moment. He pressed a hand to her forehead (pointedly pretending the blatant kiss marks on her shoulders and the side of her neck were just mosquito bites, for Yato's sake) and when he didn't detect a fever, he carefully tucked the blanket over and around her, noting her serene expression with a sense of satisfaction.

"Okay," he said once that was taken care of. Yato gave him a warm look as they went downstairs.

"I know I haven't said this enough, but you're going to be an excellent big brother, Yukine," he said. Yukine felt his face grow warm and fidgeted with his t-shirt.

"I just care about Hiyori, is all..." he muttered.

"'Just'," Yato chuckled. "You've been sticking to her like mold on bread."

"Ew, can't you use a better comparison?!"

They passed the living room, where Kofuku and Daikoku were having breakfast, still in their pajamas.

"Morning Yato-chan, Yukki," Kofuku yawned, waving at them. "You're up and dressed so early! Want some toast?"

"Nah, we're going out for a little bit, so we'll eat later," Yato told her. "Could you keep an eye on Hiyori for us?" he asked.

"'Course," Daikoku grunted. "I'll bring her some breakfast in a bit."

"Thanks," Yato said gratefully. "We'll be back soon."

"Cawefwow," Kofuku said through a mouthful of bread. "You too, Yukki."

"Yeah," Yukine nodded. He followed Yato down the hall and slipped on his shoes. "Where are we going, by the way?" he asked as Yato slid the door open and strode outside.

"Oh, just a walk," Yato said with a shrug. Yukine wasn't buying it.

"What is it?" he insisted, hurrying to catch up. "Something happen with Hiyori?"

Yato's mouth thinned into a line but he said nothing as they walked past the stalls of Kofuku's outdoor shop and onto the lake path.

"I want your opinion, Yukine," he finally spoke as they reached a deserted spot and he leaned on the wooden railing.

"About what?"

Yato gave him a look that Yukine knew all too well; it was a childish, desperate sort of look, the one that meant Yato was scared and unsure how to prevent hurting the people he cared about.

Crap, he thought, trying not to panic.

"... I know I promised..." he began slowly, and Yukine's heart immediately felt like it were being squeezed in a vicegrip. Yato flinched, stung. "W-wait, lemme finish-"

"No," Yukine cut in, clenching his fists tightly. "No, you swore!"

"I know, that's not-"

"Did I do something wrong?! Was I too close to Hiyori?! Did I do something inappropriate?" he asked, struggling to breathe. "Did... Did I think something bad about the kid without noticing?! You can't possibly be afraid I'll hurt them?!" There was a lump in his throat, and he couldn't quite think straight.

You can't, you CAN'T! You can't do this to me, Yato!

"Yukine!"

"NO!" he shouted, covering his ears desperately with his hands. "You can't get another shinki! I'm enough! I'm the only one you need! YOU PROMISED! AREN'T I ENOUGH ANYMORE?!"

"Yukine!" Yato insisted, taking the boy by the wrists firmly and tugging them away from his face. "Breathe, Yukine! Listen to me!"

But Yukine was quickly spiraling, and he wrenched his hands away from Yato's grasp, gripping the front of his master's jersey desperately.

"No! I'll do anything, I'll work harder than ever! I promise, I would never hurt your kid or Hiyori! I'll do my best so I won't hate my new brother or sister, I swear! I'll be a better guidepost, I'll protect all three of you with my name! Just please, Yato, don't do it, don't get another shinki! You can't! You promised me! YOU CAN'T REPLACE ME, YOU CAN'T!"

Yato pulled him into a tight hug.

"Idiot, listen to what I'm saying first!" he scolded as Yukine broke down into vicious sobs. "I'm not gonna replace you, ever. You may not be my only kid anymore, but you're still my one and only guidepost, Yukine. You're my pride and joy, and I'd never worry that you could hurt Hiyori, the kid, or anyone else! The hell do you take me for?!"

"B-But...!"

Yato sighed, letting Yukine cry into his shoulder as he patted the boy's back reassuringly.

"I don't wanna break my promise, stupid brat. You think I like getting stung? More importantly, I hate seeing you get all fucked up, what kinda parent would I be if I didn't want my kids to live without worry? I'm talking about this now because I don't wanna hurt you. Even if it's Hiyori, I don't intend to sacrifice you for her or anyone else's sake."

Yukine sniffed, confused. It took him a few minutes to calm down enough to speak.

"Hi-Hiyori? What about her?"

"You done crying?" Yato asked, ruffling his hair in a gentle, fatherly way. Yukine hastily pushed him away, embarrassed, and wiped his eyes and nose with his sleeve.

"T-That wasn't crying, you stupid master!" he said, even though he knew there was no one in the world who would fall for such an obvious lie.

"Uh huh," Yato said drily. "I suppose it just rained on my jersey specifically at Yukine-level height, huh?"

"F-Fuck if I know," Yukine muttered spitefully. He sniffled a few more times before he was able to speak clearly. "What's this about Hiyori?"

Yato sighed and crossed his arms over the railing, staring out at the water.

"She made a wish last night," he said slowly. "A wish that I don't feel good about granting."

"What was it?" Yukine asked, placing his hands on the rail timidly.

"... Well... she asked me to make her my shinki when she dies."

Yukine's fingernails sunk into the wood as his fear of being abandoned was overcome by something stronger and more visceral.

"Hi-Hiyori's not gonna die!" he said forcefully. Yato gave him a knowing look.

"She is," he said, softly. "We just don't know when. She could die in sixty years, old and grey, or Heaven might execute her tomorrow. Even if we protected her to the best of our ability, she could still be in another traffic accident, or get sick and pass away. Everyone dies, Yukine, we can't stave it off forever. Even the gods aren't truly immortal. Someday we'll all be forgotten and vanish."

Yukine shook his head as though the sheer force of his denial could change reality.

"Yeah, but there's no reason for her to think about this now!"

Yato grimaced, his eyes clouded with uncertainty.

"... Yukine, do you know the mortality rate for mothers who die due to the complications of pregnancy?"

Yukine's mouth went dry.

"N-no..."

"These days it's not too bad," Yato explained. "Especially not in this country. But it's not zero. The odds go up significantly if the mother is sick or injured, especially in the later stages."

"B-but Hiyori is healthy..."

"So was my boss' wife, until she miscarried yesterday," Yato said, a dark, hurt look in his eyes. "There was nothing wrong with her, she was fine... and then she wasn't. Now her kid is dead, and they don't know if she'll ever wake up." He leaned forward, dropping his face onto his arms, his unnervingly blue eyes glowering at nothing in particular. "And she has nothing to do with the kind of dangers we're in. Heaven aside, I'm not totally convinced that a child between a human and a god, especially one conceived through the soul rather than the body, won't harm its mother in some way we can't even imagine. Even a normal child can kill its mother in this day and age. Anything can happen, Yukine..." His voice trembled slightly, low and vulnerable. "Honestly... I'm fucking terrified. The thought of losing her, losing the kid... losing you, too... I can't even sleep most nights cause of how scared I am."

Yato turned his face away, clearly ashamed to bare his fears aloud. Yukine wiped his own face again for good measure and stood next to his master, pressing a shoulder against his arm in a gesture of support.

"You know better than to hide how you feel, idiot," he scolded. "I'd noticed you'd been looking tired lately but I didn't know you weren't sleeping. Why the hell didn't you say anything?!"

Yato fidgeted with his sleeve slightly.

"I'm s'posed to be protecting you guys," he muttered. "I'm the father of the family, a god even. I shouldn't be having panic attacks in the middle of the night like a kid."

Yukine sighed exasperatedly. "What the hell, even I'm not that old fashioned. Yeah you're the dad, but that doesn't mean you gotta bottle shit up like you used to. Hiyori would be pissed if she knew you were trying to carry everything by yourself, and you might be a god, but I'm here to protect you. We're all supposed to look after each other. Gods, you're such a fucking hypocrite."

"WHAT?!"

"A hy-po-crite!" Yukine enunciated flatly. "You're always telling me to speak up and share what I'm thinking, but you're just as fucking stubborn about your feelings when they're important!" He kicked the back of Yato's shin lightly, ignoring the yelp of pain. "So you're afraid, big deal! We're all afraid. Y'know why? 'Cause this situation is fucking scary! You think Hiyori doesn't worry? Ya think I don't? You ain't fucking special, Yato, we're all scared shitless cause we could all die just like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "It's okay to be scared! But if you ain't sleeping, then you're not gonna be ready to fight when we gotta protect ourselves, and how's that gonna help? The only reason Heaven isn't coming down on us right this second is that they don't wanna piss us off; you're Amagiri-no-Mikoto, and I'm the hafuri that literally cut Heaven in two. They're scared too," Yukine said frankly. "But they ain't gonna stay scared unless you're in proper shape to fight them off."

Yato said nothing, wearing at a thread on his sleeve nervously.

"Heaven is just one of our problems, that's true," Yukine added when it was clear Yato wasn't ready to talk. "There's all sorts of shit that can go wrong... but that's just how life is, Yato. I don't wanna ever hear you say you gotta shoulder all our problems for us just cause you're the man of the house or a god or whatever. That's the kind of shit that made Bishamon's household so unstable before, got it? There's three- I mean, four- of us, plus Daikoku-san and Kofuku-san, and Hiyori's family even, so we all gotta take care of each other properly."

"... I guess you have a point," Yato muttered.

"I know I have a point. I'm the guidepost here." Yato half-smiled.

"Heh, yeah, that's true. I dunno how to calm down enough to sleep though..."

"Leave that to me and Hiyori, just tell us how you're feeling when you're freaking out."

Yato nodded.

"Now, about Hiyori's wish..." Yukine said, satisfied that Yato would do as he asked.

"R-right..." For some reason Yato turned pink, and Yukine inwardly told himself to tread lightly unless he wanted to mentally scar himself with the details. "She... she practically begged me to make her my shinki, even though she knows I promised you I won't have any other retainers. I don't wanna ignore her wish, but I definitely don't wanna betray you either. That's why I wanna talk it over with you, so I can decide what the right thing to do is."

Yukine touched the mark on his collarbone, feeling conflicted and more than a little hurt that Hiyori would ask that of Yato in the first place.

"... If she dies, and becomes your Regalia... she won't be Hiyori anymore," he said slowly.

"I know."

"She won't remember us. She won't remember her baby."

"You're right."

"We'll have to keep her away from her family. We'll have to be extra careful never to say her name."

"I told her all of this, but... she says all of that is a small price to pay for coming back to you and me," Yato said sadly, closing his eyes in a tired, defeated sort of way.

"B-But... I don't want Hiyori to forget!" Yukine said angrily. "How can she be coming back if she won't even know who we are?!"

Yato grimaced. "I don't think she made the request with the intent to actually come back to us, Yukine."

"Huh?"

"I think... I think Hiyori realized that you and I would probably never recover from losing her. Well, maybe you would," he said with a half-smile, "'cause you're a strong kid with a good heart. But me? I don't have the confidence that I won't break when she's gone. I can't imagine a life without Hiyori in it anymore. I know you two think I've changed, that I'm rational enough not to go on a rampage when I'm upset, but I'm a combat god, Yukine. I can't run from my aramitama forever. Honestly, lately I've been thinking it's a good thing that she's my lifeline, since her death means I'll disappear too. I can't hurt anyone if I'm not around-"

"Don't say stupid shit like that!" Yukine said furiously, hitting him over the head with his fist. "As if I'd let you kill anyone, or let you fucking leave me behind! Hiyori might be your lifeline now, but her brother remembers you too, and maybe, if your kid's a proper human, they might even pass their faith down to your descendants. Even if they can't do that, we'll find some way to survive, just like we always have, and I'll make sure you won't turn into a vengeful spirit even if I gotta kick your ass to and back from Takamagahara."

"Ow! But, Yukine...!"

"Don't you 'but, Yukine' me, asshole," he seethed. "I can't fucking follow after you if you disappear, so are you planning to abandon me?! Abandon your kid?! Hiyori wants you to live too, or she wouldn't ever have made the wish to stay with you after her death."

"No, of course I don't wanna leave you behind," Yato said, hurt at the thought. "And I know you won't let me die so easily... But that's exactly what I mean when I say she didn't make this wish for her own sake. She won't know us, she won't remember us, but she still wants to make sure she stays with us, to protect us. It's just the sort of kind, self-sacrificing thought Hiyori would have, and I'm not selfless enough not to want to keep her with me, even if it means she can't be at peace, or that we can never get back everything we have now. But I feel terrible for thinking that, and worse cause I know you'll have to suffer for it if I go through with it. Even if it's Hiyori, I don't wanna trample all over your feelings, Yukine. If you really can't handle this, I'm prepared to protect you even if it means I can't grant her wish."

Yukine gripped the wooden railing between his hands, the rough grooves scraping against his palms as he sorted through his thoughts.

Would the fact that it was Hiyori, the same Hiyori he loved more than anyone except (sometimes) Yato, make any difference to his scarred heart? Yato needed her; no matter what Yukine said, he knew his master would never have changed if he wasn't so determined to become a god worthy of her faith. Yukine needed her too; how many times had she saved them both? Literally and figuratively? He had to admit that Heaven was right to fear the taboo after all; even he would slay gods, demons, and maybe even humans if it meant protecting his master and Hiyori, and Yato... Yato would die before letting her go.

Even if it means leaving me behind... he thought, his heart aching. Yato might say otherwise, but Yukine couldn't shake the feeling that if pushed to the edge, his master would always choose Hiyori first. Truthfully, Yukine would never forgive him if he didn't. But it still hurt.

"... I don't know," he said truthfully, watching the water ripple in the wind. "I wanna be a proper guidepost, and do what's best for you and Hiyori, but... I can't help it, I really hate the idea of having to share you with anyone. You promised me you'd never take another Regalia, ever, but now you're thinking you'll make an exception for Hiyori anyway. I know that doesn't actually mean you think she's more important than me, but I can't stop feeling like you do."

"Yukine..."

Yukine sighed, feeling the weight of what he was being asked and the consequences if he didn't take it seriously.

"Man, I hate that I'm like this," he said, looking down at his hands. "Hiyori is super important to me too; I don't wanna lose her any more than you do, but I still feel jealous just thinking she might be one of your shinki some day. What if she's stronger than me? More reliable? She's a much better person than I am, what if you decide she's a better guidepost too? I know you say you won't do that, but I'm still scared... The hell is wrong with me, why do I have to feel so damned threatened by everything?!"

Yato put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't do that," he said sternly. "There's nothing wrong with you, Yukine. You're only fourteen, you've been through hell more than once. It's natural to feel insecure."

"Yeah, I guess... but it still sucks. I hate feeling this way, it's shitty and selfish."

"Quit it, it's not selfish to allow yourself to feel. Guilting yourself over it only makes it worse, and you'll start thinking it's a sin. If you sting me over it, you'll just hate yourself more. I don't ever wanna see you like that again."

Yukine nodded half-heartedly, trying to take Yato's words to heart. "Still... D-don't you ever wish I were older, Yato?" he asked hesitantly, looking up at his master.

"Nah, not really," Yato said honestly. "Not for years now, anyway. I did think it a bit when I'd just found you though; man, you were a real fucking pain in the ass back then," he groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "So angry all the time, bitter about everything... Don't gimme that look," he scolded as Yukine glared at him. "You hated me then too, so we can call it even."

"I still hate you sometimes," Yukine scoffed, but he didn't mean it and Yato knew it.

"Watch it, kid. I'll smother you in your sleep."

"Ew, please don't. Keep your nasty-ass hands away from my face, thanks."

"They are not nasty!"

"They're fucking gross and sweaty all the time, I don't even get why! Why is a god walking around with sweaty hands?!" Yukine demanded.

"That's just how I am! I can't do anything about it!" Yato said, wiping his palms anxiously on his pants.

"Disgusting."

"H-Hiyori doesn't think so!" Yato insisted.

Yukine made a face. "Hiyori has the patience of a saint. Her taste in men is warped too."

"Is not!"

"Is so," Yukine snapped. He meant to say more, but Yato had that innocent, devastated look on his face he sometimes got and Yukine immediately felt bad for teasing him. "... Well, there's gotta be something good about you, I guess, for her to care about you so much. And for me to wanna put up with you," he muttered.

Yato sniffed dramatically. "I know you like me, so I'll let that pass for now," he said petulantly. "Just 'cause I'm a generous god and we're still not done talking about Hiyori."

Yukine gave a derisive snort. "Generous my ass." Yato cleared his throat pointedly and turned to look at Yukine, his expression completely serious, all traces of immaturity gone.

"I need you to understand this, Yukine," he said. "I don't resent you for your issues or your complicated emotions. I'm never gonna resent you for something you have every right to feel. I also need you to understand that those feelings are valid; if you tell me I can't make Hiyori my Regalia, I'll honor your wishes. There's no point in keeping her with us if it's just going to hurt you."

Yukine scratched the back of his head irritably. "You really don't get it, do you?" he sighed, crossing his arms over the railing. "You keep saying Hiyori is doing this for us, that she's trying to protect us, but are you really that fucking dense?"

"Hah?! What the hell are you insulting me for now?!" Yato asked angrily. Yukine rolled his eyes.

"You really need to learn to put yourself in other people's shoes," he said drily. "Yeah, Hiyori is a kind person, and I'm sure she does wanna protect us, but you really think there's no element of selfishness in her asking you to bind her? You care about her enough to die for her, right?"

Yato nodded.

"Well she's given up way more to be with you than you ever have for her," Yukine explained. "Hiyori has spent the last four years as a semi-apparition just so she can stay a denizen of the Boundary. Even though it's been a hassle, even though it puts her in danger sometimes, and makes it hard for her to live a normal life, she's put up with it because she thinks those things are worth it if it means she can stay with us. When was the last time she asked you to fix her body, huh?" he asked pointedly.

"... Honestly I can't remember," Yato admitted.

"Exactly. Then there was that time your dad attacked her family's hospital, she tried to run away from her guilt and grief by looking for you. She wanted you to kill her then, just so you could take her with you! What the fuck kind of unbelievable devotion even is that?!"

"She was hurting!" Yato said defensively. "It's normal to want to run away from a fucked up situation!"

"Yeah, but not like that! It wasn't even the usual sort of suicidal impulse, it wasn't about dying for her at all; it was about you accepting her, forgiving her, and granting her a safe place to exist. Think about that for a second; she felt safer being at your side even if it meant you had to kill her. She told me once, that even though you saved her by rejecting her that time, there was a small part of her that was hurt 'cause she felt like you didn't want her. She said it was like you were saying you wanted her to live without you, and it made her lonely."

Yato blushed and looked away, clearly flustered. "O-oh, I didn't know that," he mumbled. "I thought she was just upset I didn't grant her wish..."

"Well you thought wrong," Yukine said, leaning onto his arm. "She's grateful you didn't have to go that far, of course, but humans can't help feeling how we feel, even if it's irrational. That being said..." he paused, thinking his words over carefully, "I never got old enough to really understand what it's like to be in love with someone, but even I can tell that Hiyori is different from most people. She's someone who wanted so badly to see you one last time before she died that she abandoned her grieving family and came to find us, thinking the whole time that she would do anything if it meant she could die in your arms. But when she came out of that ordeal safe and sound, no one was more relieved than her to have more time with us. That kind of love, that kind of devotion, it's crazy. Not just anyone can love like that."

"Yeah, she's definitely special," Yato admitted, his voice soft and far away.

"She is," Yukine said, annoyed slightly at Yato's obliviousness. "And right now, she's suffering and putting her life and her future on the line to stay with you and have your kid. After all that, you really think she's doing this just for us? Hiyori doesn't want to be your shinki just so we can hold on to her memory! That girl adores you, Yato; she wants to stay with you even if it means she's gotta die to do it. If losing her memories of the last four years is the price for an eternity of staying at your side, don't you think she'd pay it after everything she's already given up for you? Even though she values those memories more than anything? You get it now?"

Yato lifted his elbow onto the rail, his arm acting as a barrier he could hide behind as he raised a hand to tug at his bangs nervously.

"Y-yeah, I get it," he said, coughing when his voice came out strained. Yukine sighed, embarrassed that he had to spell out something so goddamned obvious for a god that was centuries old.

"Hiyori is really special," he said, pressing his cheek to his arm. "But in the end she's just as human as I am. She loves us, so she wants to be with us. It's that simple of a wish, Yato. I get it, cause I'm also the type of person who puts myself at risk to protect and be with the people I care about. I wouldn't be your hafuri otherwise. It's a feeling I understand really well, so..."

He paused, touching his mark lightly for courage.

"So... even if I have to struggle with the consequences a bit, and if I get all messed up over it... I won't allow you to sacrifice Hiyori's wish for my sake."

"Yukine..." Yato said, biting his lip. "I know you care about Hiyori too, but I just don't want you to be miserable and hurt. I don't wanna sacrifice you for her sake either."

"Who the fuck said I'd be miserable?!" Yukine snapped. "I might be jealous sometimes, or wanna act out cause of it, or even sting you a bit here and there, but that's a much smaller price than the one Hiyori has to pay, the price she's been paying all along. If she's willing to do it anyway, just to stay with us, I can't complain. It's Hiyori, after all, even if her name is forgotten. We love her, don't we?"

Yato regarded Yukine with something between curiosity and awe.

"You... you think I'm capable of love too, Yukine?"

"Hah?! What kinda stupid question is that?!" Yukine asked, annoyed. "You think I could hang out with you for almost four years and not know what a hopeless fucking romantic you are?!"

Yato choked.

"A romantic?! Me?!"

Yukine raised an eyebrow. "Talk about no self-awareness. Sure, you're a total creep and stalker sometimes, but you've also got that insanely pure side that gets all worked up over meaningful gestures and annoying displays of affection. You're always doing thoughtful, over the top shit for me and Hiyori even though it's way too much. You have no restraint and you don't really get how overbearing your feelings can be sometimes, but only a fucking idiot wouldn't see that there's real emotions under all the crap you pull."

Yato gaped at him and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Not even a little doubt, huh...?" he chuckled. He smiled warmly at Yukine, clearly happy beyond words. "Man, both you and Hiyori, you both see right through me. I really do love you two."

"Ick, gross! Don't get all sappy on me now, you sweaty weirdo!" Yukine complained as Yato threw an arm over his shoulder and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Of course I see right through you, I'm your goddamned kid. Isn't that what family is supposed to do?" Yukine asked grumpily.

"That you can say that after everything you've been through, after everything Haru went through... that's more than enough proof that you can grow up." Yato said seriously. A second later his eyes glazed over with what were clearly tears. "Fuck... I'm so damned proud of you, you've become such a fucking great kid," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

"Oh for the love of- here," Yukine grumbled, tugging a handkerchief from his jumper pocket. "Act like an adult for once, would ya?!"

Yato blew his nose and nodded.

"Yukine... just so I'm sure I didn't misunderstand... you sure you're okay with me granting Hiyori's wish?"

Yukine gave up trying to escape and sighed.

"... Yeah, as long as it's only Hiyori," Yukine agreed. "Just... don't hate me too much if I feel upset about it sometimes."

"Stupid, as if I could hate you," Yato scoffed, resting his head against Yukine's temple. "Still, I'm gonna do my best to protect Hiyori so... let's not worry about this until we have to, alright? You'll help me out with all the details when the time comes?"

"That goes without saying, idiot," he said.


"Curse? What curse?" Yasumi asked, perplexed.

Reiko hesitated. "I'm not actually sure, Yasumi-chan. For as long as I've known Ame-san and the circumstances of our family, I've always felt that there is something more to all of this. I'm not certain that even Ame-san remembers what that is, but I can sense something, some secret or danger lurking in the shadows that holds us all captive. There's so much we don't know about gods, I can't imagine what that might be, but I'm certain it's there."

"I guess you could call Heaven wanting to kill us all a curse," Yasumi admitted.

"That's not what I mean, dear," Reiko explained patiently. "The curse isn't that Heaven wishes to execute us. It's whatever it is that makes Heaven consider us a threat in the first place. Even Ame-san doesn't really know why Heaven is after her head. Toshiya-san won't speak of it, not even to her, but I suspect he's not entirely clear on the situation either. Whatever the reason, it's dangerous enough that even the gods are afraid. As long as that secret exists, Ame-san is trapped on this land forever. So is our family; even when we leave the shrine, we can't exist without her blood protecting us."

"Ame is as real as you and me, but while I can go wherever I want, Ame is bound by her role as a god of protection. She's pretty much stuck at her shrine, forever. It's kind of a shitty gig if you ask me."

Yato's words came back to her, and Yasumi had to admit that he was right; having to stay in one place, hiding for hundreds if not thousands of years, endlessly repeating a cycle of forgetting and re-learning... it sounded like some sort of existential Hell. Even if Yasumi weren't directly affected by it all, she would still feel sympathy and anger for anyone who had to live that way. She definitely couldn't do it.

"You really think I can do something about that, Aunt Reiko?" she asked, unsure what she wanted to hear.

"Well, I hope so, at least," Reiko admitted slowly. "I'd like to see Ame-san freed from her burden of fate. There's a strange connection between you and our god, something about the way these events are panning out that tells me it would be a mistake to dismiss it all as coincidence. However, I have to apologize in advance Yasumi-chan; my gift isn't very clear or precise. I can sometimes sense the workings of fate but I cannot direct or even correctly interpret them most of the time. I have been wrong in the past."

Someone spoke in the background of the other line and there was a muffled noise as her aunt politely covered the receiver to reply to them.

"I'm afraid our time is at an end, dear," she said a moment later. "There are matters I have to help Rin and Kuriko-chan with. I don't know if there will be a chance to speak again before my memories are taken, so I will tell you this now while I still can. Whether or not I'm correct, I hope you will find a kindred soul in Ame-san. I know you haven't had the easiest life, Yasumi-chan, and neither has she. Look after her for me."

"Y-yeah, I will," Yasumi said, somehow nervous.

"Good," Reiko said warmly. "Well then, I'll see you at Obon if nothing else, dear. I know you don't always attend but something tells me you will this year. And every year after too; Ame-san loves Obon."

Yasumi gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, okay. Thanks for telling me all this, Aunt Reiko. I really appreciate the help."

"Any time. Now, please rest and take care of yourself, Yasumi-chan. And give Hana-chan my regards."

"You too, Auntie. Bye."

The call disconnected and Yasumi slumped back against her mattress, exhausted, a proper migraine now pulsing against the inside of her skull. Every time she thought she understood what was happening around her, someone threw a curveball and reminded her just how little she actually knew about her own family and their situation.

"A curse... and Dad, huh..." she muttered aloud, deep in thought. It seemed eerie to have her aunt bring him up now, less than 24 hours after she'd spoken about him with Yukine. She loved her father, but Yasumi and Hana rarely spoke about him, even to each other. It was an unspoken agreement between them, a way for mother and daughter to keep him alive in their silence.

I wonder what you'd think of all this, she wondered, nursing her headache. About war gods in tracksuits, or exorcists from China and the dead serving as divine weapons. You'd probably think I was losing it if I started saying that Heaven is out to kill me and mom. Hell, sometimes I feel like I'm losing it too.


"Congratulations on graduating, Hiyori!"

"Over here! Smile!"

Hiyori obliged, her parents beaming proudly at the photographer as the graduation ceremony spilled out onto the courtyard, students and their families gathering together for words of praise and tearful goodbyes under the flurry of the April cherry blossoms. Everyone was in high spirits, and Hiyori somehow felt less tired than she had in months. Somehow she'd done it, she'd managed to graduate from high school and been accepted to the National School of Medicine without anyone noticing she was pregnant. It was a miracle, really; she'd been lucky that her pregnancy had remained subtle enough to pass off as weight or sweater bulk right up to the end of the semester.

"Does this mean I can keep it hidden until I go into labor?" Hiyori had asked hopefully once her brother had reassured them that the baby was fine despite Hiyori's size; she didn't want to miss out on the first semester of university if it could be avoided.

Masaomi gave her an understanding grimace and shook his head.

"Sorry sis, you might be small right now, but trust me, you're gonna be pretty obvious soon enough. Mom was like that when she was pregnant with you too. Even a small baby bump is still noticeable once you get into the final trimester."

Oh well, she thought as she watched her family mingle cheerfully with her classmates and their parents. I'll be able to go for a couple of weeks, at least. It was safer for them all if she didn't push her luck anyway.

"My turn! My turn!"

Hiyori yelped as Yato threw himself at her and lifted her up with a dizzying half-turn.

"Congrats, Hiyori! he said, grinning up at her as she clung to his neck for dear life.

"AGH, YATO, NO! Put me down!" she cried, mortified. She wasn't really afraid he'd drop her or anything; he was much stronger than he looked, even if she did weigh more than she used to. But people were turning to look, and Hiyori knew that they'd see him just fine if he were holding her up with one arm around her waist and the other under her thighs. She felt her face flush with shame and she kicked at him, trying to get free.

"Hey, careful, you'll fall-!" he exclaimed, clinging to her more tightly in his panic. His hand accidentally got under her skirt as she struggled, and she shrieked as his cold fingers brushed against her bare skin.

"Stop! We're in public, what are you doing?!" she cried, beating him over the head with her fists. Her parents were thankfully talking with one of her teachers, but her brother and Yukine (who had finally introduced himself to the Iki family as Yato's live-in cousin) were both standing nearby, clearly trying to pretend they didn't know who she or Yato were even though they'd been preparing to take photographs just a few seconds earlier.

"Ow, you don't have to hit me!" he whined as he put her down and she hurriedly smoothed out her uniform and sweater. "That was an accident-"

"Accident, my foot! You're supposed to be keeping a low profile, not groping me in the middle of a crowd!" she hissed, pressing her diploma into his hands as she double checked that her sweater wasn't giving her away. "You can't see it, right?" she asked, turning worriedly to the right.

"Nah, you're fine," Yato said, a bit too lightly. "I wasn't trying to feel you up or anything, really! C'mon, don't worry so much, this is your long-awaited graduation, Hiyori! We gotta celebrate!" He took her hand and led her into a small twirl, grinning brightly like a kid on his birthday. "It's your last day as a high school girl, enjoy it!"

"I-I am, but you're enjoying it too much!" she complained. "People are looking, they're gonna notice-"

"Hiyori?! Who is that?!"

Oh no, just what I didn't need, she groaned inwardly as Ami and Yama cut through the crowd toward them, clutching their certificates with the kind of malevolent curiosity only close friends ever showed. Yukine gestured violently at Yato to get the hell out of there but it was too late.

"Oh my god," Ami said and Hiyori did not miss the glint in Yato's eye at her friend's choice of expression. "Hiyori, where have you been hiding him?! I didn't know you knew any good-looking guys!" she exclaimed, floored. "Introduce us!"

"Good-looking?! Me?!" he asked, pointing at himself and looking like he'd won the lottery. Hiyori frowned. Yukine had made him buy a suit and tie for the occasion, and as always, he cleaned up so well it was almost like he had become a different person. She agreed with Ami that it suited him, and she'd been happy to see him all dressed up for her sake, but though she did think he looked very handsome, she'd been too self-conscious to say it aloud. She didn't like hearing someone else compliment him first.

She turned away from him and forced a smile for her friends. "Hi Ami-chan, Yama-chan. Congratulations on graduating!"

"You too, Hiyori!" Yama grinned. "But more importantly, seriously, who's the hottie?! With your taste in men, he's way too handsome to be your boyfriend. A cousin you've been keeping secret from us, maybe?"

Yato's face turned slightly red but he seemed thrilled at all the attention. His eyes shone with barely concealed excitement.

"Hiyori, they're noticing me! They're looking at me! She even said I'm hot!" Yato interrupted, grabbing Hiyori's arm with an almost, but not quite, innocent expression.

Hiyori shook him off, annoyed. "Yes, I can see that," she said stiffly. What do you expect when you're causing such a ruckus while keeping yourself noticeable for my parents?! He seemed oblivious to her irritation as her friends giggled.

"Hey, you seem to have a good eye," he said, turning to address them with a seductive sort of smile. "Do you two believe in gods and fate?" he asked, his tone low and sultry.

Hiyori kicked him in the shin. Hard.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he said, holding his leg up with tears in his eyes.

"There was a bug on your clothes," she said coldly.

"There was not!"

"I definitely saw a bug," Yukine said pointedly as he elbowed his way past a group of students and glared at Yato, his hands on his hips. "A really disgusting bug," he added flatly. "I told you to behave. What part of that sounds like permission to go around trying to seduce people into converting?! Don't you remember what happened last time you tried that?!"

"Converting?" Ami asked Hiyori as Yukine began what sounded like a first-class rant. Hiyori gave a weak laugh. I'm gonna kill you later, Yato.

"Er, right, sorry" she said, clearing her throat. "I should have introduced you earlier. This is Yato, don't mind him, he's... uh... a priest?" she said, unable to come up with anything better off the top of her head. "And that's Yukine-kun. They're-"

"Hiyori's family," Yato said abruptly, escaping Yukine's scolding to come stand with her instead. For some reason the ambiguity of the statement made something in Hiyori's chest ache.

He always goes out of his way to announce himself as my boyfriend, so why the caution now? she thought uneasily.

"Oh, your family!" Ami said, bowing. She gave Yato a look Hiyori didn't like at all, like she was sizing him up and planning how best to eat him. "Hello, I'm Tabata Aimi, but you can call me Ami. It's nice to meet you, Yato-san, Yukine-kun," she said, emphasizing the honorifics.

"I'm Yatoga- er, just Yato. Thanks for looking after Hiyori all these years. It's great to see she has such cute friends." Yato said, throwing in a brilliant smile that made Hiyori want to slap it right off his face.

Yukine seemed to notice because he gave Hiyori a 'don't worry, I'll help you kick his ass for encouraging this later,' look before he bowed politely.

"I'm Yukine," he said formally. "This here is my mas- I mean, my cousin, Yato. Yoroshiku."

"Wow, you're a well behaved little guy, aren't ya?" Yama said, rudely patting Yukine's head. "Relax kid, no need to use keigo, you're young! This is the only time you get to be a little snot-rag, so enjoy it while you can. I'm Yamashita Akira, but you can call me Akira-sama."

Yukine spluttered, and it was only the fact that Hiyori's parents were nearby that stopped him from using his most colorful language in retaliation.

"Don't tease him, Yama-chan!" Hiyori intervened, raising an arm to physically block her friend before she did something that made Yukine snap. "I know he's cute and small but he's only four years younger than us; he hates being treated like a child," she said earnestly. Yato sniggered at Yukine's expression.

"C-cute and small!" he laughed. "Hear that, Yukine? Cute." He tugged Yukine's cheek playfully. Yukine slapped him away viciously.

"Hiyori can say whatever she wants, but you ever call me that again in public, and I'll have your fucking balls," he snarled in a low, hard to overhear voice. Ami and Yama didn't catch what he'd said, but the murder in his eyes was clear enough for them to take a step back as Hiyori hurried to defuse the situation.

"Oh, no sorry, Yukine-kun! I meant... I meant you're just a sweet, gentle person is all-" she said, waving her hands anxiously.

Yato had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from bursting into laughter, while Yukine looked like he'd been hit in the face with a club, his bravado shattered.

"Hiyori, I know you mean well, but can you please just... not?" he groaned meekly as her friends clearly stifled giggles at his expense.

"S-sorry," she said, but she was interrupted as a sudden gust blew through the courtyard, sending a shower of pink petals through the air. Hiyori shivered; even with her sweater, it was an unseasonably cold morning for April.

Yato noticed and tugged off his formal jacket. "Here, wear this," he said, holding it up so she could slip her arms into it.

"T-thank you," she mumbled, a little flustered by the casual intimacy of the gesture. He pulled down the lapels neatly for her and nodded, satisfied.

"There," he said. "That should do the trick until we go home." He lingered for a second longer, his fingers lightly touching her jaw. For a moment Hiyori thought he was about to kiss her, her heart suddenly pounding, but then he seemed to come back to his senses and reluctantly pulled away, red-faced.

"You two are about as subtle as a fucking plane crash," Yukine said scornfully as Ami and Yama shrieked with second-hand embarrassment.

"Forbidden love between relatives?! And a priest at that?!" Ami gasped scandalously. "Auntie Iki! Auntie!"

"No, it's not!" Hiyori shouted, blushing as her friends gleefully hurried off to tattle. "Ami-chan! Yama-chan! I said you're wrong!"

"Jeez, with friends like that, who needs enemies?" Masaomi said, shaking his head as he rejoined the group. "They always were nosy as all hell."

"Seriously," Yukine sighed and tugged at his tie, uncomfortable. "Don't we have like, pictures to take or something? I'm not used to wearing all this formal stuff. You must be tired too, Hiyori."

"Well, a little," she admitted. Her feet were aching and her back was always sore these days.

"Yukine-kun's right, you shouldn't be on your feet too long, sis," Masaomi said, holding up the camera. "Let's get these photos taken care of and then I'll drive you to that after-party of yours."

"Thanks, onii-chan," Hiyori sighed, wincing as her mother flashed them a stern, angry look from across the courtyard. Yato waved at her nervously.

"Fuck, I'm dead, huh?" he said through a forced smile. Hiyori would have felt bad for him, except that she suddenly remembered how easily he'd been swayed by her friends' compliments.

"I told you you were standing out too much," she said bluntly.

"You weren't supposed to do anything to draw attention to yourself," Yukine scolded. "And what the fuck were you flirting with them for?! In front of Hiyori and her family too, do you want to get killed?!"

"I didn't mean it like that! I was just trying to get some new customers-"

"Oh, is that what that was?" Hiyori said drily. Yato caught the danger in her tone this time and paled.

"S-sorry! I wasn't cheating on you, Hiyori, I swear-"

"Seriously, what part of low profile just isn't getting through to you, dumbass?" Yukine growled. "All day you've been acting like a little kid, shouting and running around and just drawing all sorts of attention to yourself. You're the one who's always worrying about getting found out, so what the hell are you acting all careless and giddy for?! You were even totally undressing Hiyori with your eyes a minute ago, are you insane?! Don't make me drag your ass home."

Yato huffed childishly, only a little flustered at having been caught in the middle of a dirty thought.

"It's a special occasion! I'm allowed to be happy for Hiyori in public! It's not like the fact she's part of my household isn't already common knowledge. As long as we don't leak that other thing, we can afford to relax a little, can't we?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Masaomi said, not even listening. "We already know you're a walking disaster, Yato-san. Just hurry up so I can take these pictures and we can get outta here. I'm hungry."

"That's Yato-sama to you, asshole! I'll smite you!"

"I'll take the risk," Masaomi shrugged.

Hiyori gave a small, exasperated sigh at Yato's insulted expression, her annoyance forgotten for the time being. "Yato, my feet hurt," she said, tugging his sleeve as she tried to distract him from going off on her brother. "Can we please just take the pictures so we can go home to Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san?"

He made a disatisfied face but nodded. "Yeah, okay." She reluctantly returned Yato's jacket, his scent lingering in the air as he pulled it over his shoulders and stood next to her with an arm around her waist as she held up her diploma.

"Yukine, get over here!" he called as soon as Masaomi had a good shot of the two of them.

"Coming," Yukine said, hastily finishing a text and shoving his phone into his pocket before taking up a spot on Hiyori's other side. Yato grinned cheekily and held up a peace sign expectantly. The other two exchanged an exasperated look but followed suit. "At least he's not making us wear matching tracksuits this time," Yukine muttered under his breath.


Yasumi found her mother praying in front of the altar in the parlor a few hours later, the afternoon sunshine streaming in through the glass doors merrily as though nothing bad could possibly exist under such a warm sky.

"Mom," she said from the parlor door and her mother gave a start, her prayers momentarily forgotten.

"Yasumi, you scared me!" Hana said, resting a hand on her chest. "What happened?" she asked worriedly. Yasumi sighed and crossed her arms, squinting slightly in the light.

"Are you planning to tell me what you and the rest of the family decided this morning?" she asked flatly. Her mother made a nervous gesture, fingering the prayer beads she always wore as a bracelet.

"We didn't really come to a decision," she said slowly. Yasumi leaned back against the doorway.

"That the truth?"

"Yes, of course," Hana said, surprised. "I wouldn't lie about that."

"But you're still gonna treat me like an outsider who doesn't deserve to know the details, right?" Hana blinked up at her, taken aback by the anger in her tone.

"Y-you're being silly," she said, avoiding Yasumi's gaze. "No one is saying that." Her daughter scowled.

"No, I'm being honest," she snapped. "I'm sick and tired of being treated like I'm an ignorant child. I kept my mouth shut before, cause it was none of my business, but this directly affects me. You said so yourself, Mom! That thing was after me, not you."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Hana admitted, placing a hand on the shrine. "I thought so at first, but... it is strange for something from the Far Shore to take an interest in you."

"Why? Don't ayakashi go after normal people too?"

"Well, yes, but you-"

"Yeah, I know, I repel them without trying," Yasumi said, too tired to go through this same conversation a second time. "I spoke with Aunt Reiko, she told me about it."

Hana looked a little surprised, which only grated on Yasumi's nerves.

"What, I can't talk to Aunt Reiko now?" she grumbled.

"Of course you can, but... I never told anyone else in the family about that, they assume you're just insensitive; why would Reiko-obasan know...?"

Yasumi sighed, weighing her options. She didn't feel safe enough to tell her mother everything, and she had a feeling that even though Aunt Reiko had told her son about some of the details surrounding Ame's situation, she'd been careful not to let him know too much. Still, Yasumi needed information, before the rest of the family came up with their own plans and stupidly put themselves in more danger out of ignorance.

"I don't really know," she lied. "But she said I might be getting the Sight, cause I noticed that thing last night-"

"What?!"

"Not directly!" she amended quickly. "Just, out of the corner of my eye."

"Why didn't you say anything, Yasumi?!"

"'Cause I was freaked out! And then as soon as we got home, you called up everyone else in the family and kept me out of it!"

Hana opened her mouth to argue but seemed to realize her daughter was right.

"I'm sorry," she said, folding her hands on her lap and looking down at the shrine. "I never intended to keep things about the family from you on purpose."

"Doesn't change the fact you did," Yasumi grumbled.

"That's true. It's not an excuse, but I think I've been trying to shield you from it," Hana admitted. "Growing up in our family is... it's usually terrifying. Even if your Sight isn't very strong, you're always looking over your shoulder for things that want to cause you harm. When I realized you couldn't See, it was an unbelievable relief," she said. "I remember thinking that you'd be able to live a normal life, that you wouldn't need to afraid all the time. I didn't want to ruin that for you, so I guess I've tried not to involve you too much."

"I know, and I appreciate that you wanted to protect me, Mom. You've always let me do whatever I want, and I know that's not really how it is for everyone else. I've always resented being left out, but it's not like I don't understand that I've been lucky not to have to deal with the Far Shore until now."

Hana blinked at her.

"You know, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about the Near and Far Shores before."

"That's what they're called, isn't it?" Yasumi shrugged. "I listen." She pushed away from the doorway and sat down next to her mother, clapping twice and bowing at the altar.

Please watch over me and my mom, Ame-sama.

"You're not gonna leave me out anymore, are you Mom?" she asked once she was done praying.

"... No, I guess not," Hana said, sighing. "Especially if you noticed that spirit last night. It hasn't happened to our family in centuries, but some people develop the Sight later in their lives. If that's what's happening to you, I suppose we'll need to take you to meet with Kuriko-nee-san soon. She and Dad will know better what to do."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Yasumi agreed. "But can we wait a few days? Just in case that thing gives up and goes away?"

Hana nodded. "Yes, let's do that."


It was almost noon by the time everyone got back to Kofuku's house, but Yukine ran some last minute errands for Daikoku so he returned home some time after Hiyori and Yato did. As he walked up the lake path with several plastic bags in tow, he heard loud, raucous laughter and what sounded like Hiyori and Daikoku shouting in the distance, and Yukine scoffed at no one in particular.

"What the heck are they doing now?" he said aloud. "Man, I take my eyes off them for five seconds-"

"Need some help?"

He gave a start but wasn't entirely surprised when Nora hopped down from the railing, wearing shorts and a t-shirt for once, and holding out a hand for some of his groceries.

"Do you know any way of showing up that doesn't scare the crap out of people, Nora?" he asked, handing over two of the bags.

"No," she said simply. He sighed.

"Thanks," he said, setting off together. "Also for taking the time to come, wasn't sure you would."

Nora shrugged. "Once in a while is okay. Graduation is a big deal for humans these days, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Hiyori worked really hard, especially with her condition," Yukine said warmly. "She'll be happy to see you."

She swung one of the bags in a lazy arc. "That girl is always happy. I don't get her."

Yukine gave her a small, conflicted sort of smile. "Liar. You always say stuff like that but you'd never come if you didn't like her, or the rest of us either."

Nora said nothing, but Yukine noticed that the corner of her mouth had turned down into a slightly petulant frown.

"You're so dishonest about these things," he chuckled. "It's cute."

"...Shut up."

"You didn't tell anyone, right?" Yukine asked as they reached Kofuku's shop.

"Of course not, what kind of idiot do you take me for?" she snapped. "I might not agree with you fools and this stupid decision, but I'm not about to turn you over to Heaven either."

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure," he told her as he held the gate open. "I trust you, Nora."

"Also stupid of you, but that's not my problem," she said flatly, walking past him. Yukine shrugged to himself. Can't help the people you fall in love with, I guess, he thought. Hiyori is probably the best example of that.

"Yukki! Nora-chan! Welcome back!" Kofuku called from the living room. Hiyori waved at them but Yato and Daikoku were probably elsewhere in the house.

"I'm back," Yukine replied.

"Hiyori," Nora said by way of greeting, ignoring Kofuku entirely and making a beeline for Hiyori. She'd already changed out of her uniform and into her plainest, most comfortable slacks, but despite looking tired Yukine had to admit that she looked more content and prettier than usual, even with a scruffy, handmade shawl Yato had made her thrown over her shoulders.

"Hi, Nora-chan!" Hiyori said brightly, moving over to make space for her. "I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?"

"You got fat," Nora said flatly. Everyone froze and then Hiyori and Kofuku started laughing.

"Nora, don't be rude!" Yukine spluttered. "It's cause she's-"

"I know, I'm not stupid," Nora huffed, sitting down. She let Hiyori pat her head and give her a fond hug despite her irritable expression.

"Where's Yato?" Yukine asked Kofuku as he placed the bags on the table.

"Upstairs," Kofuku said lazily, chewing contentedly on a snack. "Said he had to get something before we ate."

"Did I hear Yukine?" Daikoku asked, poking his head in from the kitchen. "Hey kid, welcome back. You got the goods? Oh, Nora too, huh? You don't usually come to these things, welcome," he said a little awkwardly, surprised to see her in his living room.

Nora nodded but said nothing.

"As pleasant as ever," Daikoku teased, but even Nora was no exception to his fondness for kids.

"I got everything except the sauce," Yukine said, carrying the bags to the kitchen. "They were all out."

"Ah, crap. Guess we'll have to improvise."

"Hiyoriiiin, how's it feel to be a college student now?" Kofuku asked loudly, throwing herself onto Hiyori's shoulders.

"OY, hands off, you walking disaster!" Yato had come downstairs, and without so much as a greeting, he picked Kofuku up by the back of her blouse and tossed her aside. "I told ya, you're not allowed to get your aura on Hiyori until after she's had the baby!"

"HEY, ASSHOLE, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TREATING MY LADY SO ROUGHLY?" Daikoku shouted, grabbing Yato by the front of his shirt. Yato didn't back down.

"Keep a better eye on your master then!" he growled, pointing his finger into Daikoku's chest provokingly. "That's my wife and kid she's threatening there!"

"I'm not your wife!" Hiyori insisted, red-faced. Nora and Yukine exchanged a look as everyone began to argue.

"Wanna come up until they calm down?" Yukine asked her.

Nora shrugged but got to her feet anyway. No one noticed them as they slipped out into the hall.

"I see Yato is as noisy as ever," she scoffed as the shouting escalated behind them.

"Pretty much," Yukine agreed, leading her up the stairs. "But it's better this way; he's been kinda depressed lately."

"Depressed?"

"Yeah, worrying about everything, and whether he did the right thing by supporting Hiyori's choice to keep the kid."

"Well, that's stupid," Nora said. "He had plenty of time to think it over before it got to this point, he has nobody to blame but himself."

"He's not blaming anyone, he's just... scared I guess," Yukine admitted. "He thinks we don't notice but I'd be a shitty guidepost if I couldn't tell his smiles are sometimes fake."

"Hmph, I would have told him not to do it then," she said as they reached the loft. Yukine put down a couple of cushions and turned on the water heater in the corner.

"It wasn't a decision for him to make alone," Yukine shrugged. "And he does want the kid, trust me, he's really happy about it. Just, sometimes he overthinks everything by himself. He's trying to be more open about it, but you know how he is."

Nora sighed, cupping her face in her palms. "He always was an exhausting fool."

"Some things don't change," Yukine agreed, but he couldn't help a small smile as he said it. He placed a cup in front of Nora and another for himself and spooned powdered tea into both. Downstairs, there was a loud thump and the sound of Daikoku and Yato insulting each other.

"By the way," Nora asked as he filled her cup with hot water. "When is Hiyori due?"

"Hmm?" Yukine asked, surprised. "You've never asked any questions about it. Why now?"

Nora's mouth thinned into a line. "Dunno."

Yukine gave a small laugh and poured himself as well. "Lets see, she's about to start her seventh month, so eight more weeks, I guess."

She frowned at him. "Is it normal for her to be that small at that stage?"

"We were worried about it too, but her brother -he's her doctor- said she's fine. She was supposed to skip school for the last month but she was lucky she didn't have to. She's even planning on going to the first couple of weeks at her university. Her brother said it would be fine as long as she didn't push herself. I'll be going with her to make sure she doesn't."

"Seems awfully careless for people trying to avoid Heaven," Nora said frankly.

Yukine grimaced, taking a sip of the bitter tea. "Well, it's not like I haven't tried to dissuade her, but she's incredibly stubborn. She's probably worried that not going to school at all before her medical leave might get her expelled."

"Idiot."

"Can't totally argue there, but it is her future on the line. She's got a right to decide how much danger she's willing to put up with." They both drank quietly for a second, noting that the arguing downstairs had stopped, replaced by Hiyori's furious scolding.

"Do you know what it's going to be?" Nora asked suddenly.

"What?"

"The child," she added, clearly annoyed that he wasn't paying attention.

"Oh. Well, none of us can sense any aura so we think it's probably a human," Yukine said. "That, or it has even less of a divine presence than Yato does."

Nora looked at him with disgust.

"No, you fool. I meant the sex, not the divinity! Don't humans have a way to tell before the child is born these days?!"

Yukine blushed, embarrassed at having misunderstood.

"O-oh, right. We dunno that either; Yato insists on keeping it a surprise, so only Hiyori's brother really knows. Yato says it's not really that important to know since his kid is his kid no matter what, but he probably just wants to experience it all the way people used to."

"Hiyori didn't want to know either?"

"Nah, she says as long as it's healthy, she doesn't care," Yukine said, thinking. "It's actually kinda nice, back when I was alive parents cared way too much about whether they were having sons or daughters. I doubt it was much better in your time."

Nora shrugged.

"I never really thought about it, I died pretty young."

"Yeah, I get that," he nodded. "I think Hiyori was a little bit worried that Yato might prefer a son, since he's pretty old and all, but I guess he's modernized in most ways that matter. She seemed relieved about it."

"Good for her," Nora said sulkily. Yukine raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Yukine tossed her a packet of sweets. "You'll sting your master like that, you know."

"I never sting my masters," she said sharply, but opened the packet nonetheless. "It just pisses me off for some reason, seeing those two act so normal, as if being together and having a child isn't a big deal. Yato's a god, he shouldn't be playing house with a human."

Yukine turned his teacup slowly, watching the dregs slide to the bottom. "Nora, do you hate that you're a Regalia?"

She chewed on a sweet pensively, and Yukine saw a visible change come over her usually stony expression. Her eyes softened and her shoulders seemed to droop a little, so that she looked less like a capable Regalia and more like a tragically young, tired girl.

"... Sometimes. But I barely remember what it was like to be alive anyway," she admitted, and Yukine fought the urge to reach across the table and touch her hand. Their relationship was complicated enough that it was hard to know exactly what they were to one another, and Yukine had the suspicion that she didn't know any more than he did. That he was one of only two people (the other being Hiyori), that Nora ever showed vulnerability in front of spoke volumes about her trust in him, and he wasn't about to push his luck.

"There are days when I hate it too," Yukine said slowly. "It's hard to accept that you're dead when everyone around you is alive and moving forward. And gods might be from the Far Shore too, but they can grow and change where we can't. Sometimes I really resent that Yato gets to be an adult, or that he's able to have kids and a family when I can't even get taller or go to high school, let alone college. He and Hiyori always include me, and they're always saying I'm gonna be that kid's big brother, but at some point even that little baby is gonna outgrow me too, and I'm really, really, jealous about that." He sniffled slightly and hastily wiped his eye with the back of his hand, vaguely aware that he might sting Yato if he wasn't careful. "Being dead can be lonely as hell, but... but that doesn't mean we're playing pretend with our masters either. To be honest, I really hate it when people say that about Yato, Hiyori, and me.

"I know you get what I mean too, Nora. Yato's the type who yearns for the attention and love of other people, so he's also someone who returns those feelings as best as he can. He cares more about me than my real parents ever did. Yeah, my dad was a piece of shit and my mom was neglectful, but even if they were a typical, normal family, it's not like Yato hasn't looked out for me in his own way. I know he also still thinks of you like his sister, even though he's not your master anymore. That's not 'cause you or your Father were pretending with him either, it's cause he grew up with you and he still cares about you."

"Hmph, I doubt that."

"He does!" Yukine insisted. "He asks about you all the time, he's just awkward about it. Gods are different from humans, and I used to think we were just tools to him, but he's not like that. I'm lucky to have someone like him; whether we're related by blood or not doesn't mean shit, to me he's family. So are you, and Hiyori, and Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san too. No one here is playing anything. So don't say that anymore, 'kay?" he said seriously. "It's okay to feel jealous of Yato and Hiyori sometimes, but don't treat our bonds like they're not real."

Nora sighed. "Is that something you want me to promise?" she asked, leaning on one arm lazily.

Yukine shook his head. "Nah, it's something I want you to understand. Just cause we're dead doesn't mean we're not allowed to feel."

"Yeah, I get it," she said reluctantly.

"Oy, you two have been up here a while."

Both Yukine and Nora jumped, knocking their teacups over as they hit the table. Yato stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. He had several scratches on his face that definitely looked like someone, probably Hiyori, had tried very hard to pull him off Daikoku, and a clear lump on his jaw where the older man had probably punched him.

"Y-Yato! Don't just sneak in here like a cockroach!" Yukine scolded, his voice cracking from the shock. "What're you suppressing your damned aura for?"

Yato made a tch noise and squinted at them suspiciously. "You better not have been up to anything perverted in here, I felt a sting earlier-"

"O-of COURSE not!" Yukine cried, blushing despite himself. "We've just been talking-"

"Since when are you the boss of me, Yato?" Nora asked him coldly. "I can do whatever I like."

"Yeah, I'm not worried about you, Hiiro," he scoffed, using her old name. She gave him a look of deep loathing; Nora had never quite forgiven Yato for revoking her name. "But I don't want you corrupting Yukine either, he's still too young for this kinda thing-"

"You keep saying that, but I'm not gonna grow up any more than this, asshole!" Yukine said angrily. "It's none of your business anyway!"

"It is if you're gonna sting me over it!" Yato winced. "It's too early for you still, you gotta stop thinking it's a sin first, and that's something that only happens with time and life experience. It's not about your age-"

"CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS?!"

"You two are annoying," Nora huffed, getting to her feet. "Thanks for the tea, Yukine," she said. "I'm going back to Hiyori now." Without so much as a word to Yato, she walked right past him and down the stairs. Yato watched her go for a moment.

"You really weren't up to anything inappropriate?" he asked Yukine again drily.

"No!"

"Ya swear?"

"I swear on fucking Yatogami, okay?!"

Yato waited for a second, then nodded when he wasn't stung. "Good, I didn't wanna ground you today."

"Fuck off," Yukine snarled, still embarrassed. Yato's expression lightened considerably and he gave Yukine a mischievous sort of grin.

"You still like her though," he teased. "I thought you might've gotten over that crush of yours but seems like I misjudged you, Yukine."

Yukine got to his feet and picked up both teacups, avoiding Yato's eyes. "Shut up already."

"You're good for her," Yato admitted, and when Yukine looked up he found his master staring down the stairs where Nora had disappeared. "She was always a weird kid, but when she's with you, she's more human somehow. It's a relief." He turned back to Yukine with a tired sigh. "Just don't pick up any of her bad habits, yeah? She's not the kind of girl who wouldn't take advantage of you if she thought it were convenient."

"I know that," Yukine muttered grumpily. "Don't treat me like an idiot."

"I'll treat you how I want, I'm the law around here," Yato scoffed, but at a glare from his Regalia he immediately blanched. "Er, I mean- Oh, I think I hear Hiyori calling for us!" he lied hastily. "Hurry up, food's probably ready," he said, hurrying down the stairs two at a time.

"Dumbass," Yukine huffed. He tidied up a bit out of habit before he followed. The living room door was closed, but when he slid it open a great wave of sound hit him like a physical wall.

"CONGRATULATIONS ON GRADUATING, YUKINE(-KUN)!"

He stood stock still, frozen stiff by the sharp crack of party poppers as everyone crowded around him holding up a banner and several bouquets.

"Wh-what's... huh?!" he spluttered, confused. "Wait, it's Hiyori's party, what-?!" Hiyori and Yato laughed, looking every bit as proud of him as Hiyori's own parents had looked at her that morning.

"That's right, it's my graduation," Hiyori said brightly. "But I've taught you everything I know for the last three years, and you've passed all your tests and done all your homework diligently, so..." She looked to Yato, who pulled a scroll from his tracksuit pocket and pressed it into her hands. "I know it's not the same as a real diploma, but Yato and I made this for you, to celebrate you finishing your high school education, Yukine-kun. Congratulations!" she said, holding it out for him to take.

He hesitated for a moment before timidly accepting it. Rolling it open, he saw the same declaration he'd read on Hiyori's diploma, but painstakingly written out in beautiful, old-fashioned calligraphy. His name was written out using older, more decorative characters like the ones gods always used to name their shinki, and it was inked out so lovingly it was practically a work of art. In the corner, instead of an official seal, Hiyori had drawn Yukine as a sudama wearing a little western-style graduation cap.

"You guys are so dumb," he chuckled shakily, carefully rolling the parchment back up and clutching it tightly in his hands. "This must have taken forever to make, you didn't have to do that..."

"Of course we did, idiot," Yato said with an exasperated tone as he put his hands on his hips. "You worked hard, didn't you? You completed your high school education, so you gotta have a certificate. It's that simple, ain't it?" He ruffled Yukine's hair with both hands and grinned cheekily when Yukine tried to get away. "Congrats, Yukine. And you can try all you want, but you're never getting away from my love!"

"Ew! Stop! HIYORI, HELP!" he shouted, trying to cover his head with his arms, but Kofuku and Daikoku just piled on, tugging him into a tight group hug. Nora tugged Hiyori's arm just in time to prevent her from joining in and risking getting crushed or elbowed (or worse, cursed by Kofuku), but as soon as Yukine fought his way out of Kofuku and Yato's overbearing attentions, Hiyori hurried forward and threw her arms around him, laughing with hormonal tears dripping down her nose.

"I'm s-so pr-proud of you, Yukine-kun!" Hiyori sobbed loudly, clinging to him as though she were afraid he'd disappear if she let go. The emotions he'd been trying to keep to himself overwhelmed him all at once, and he returned the hug without a single indecent thought behind it.


"I don't understand any of you," Nora said flatly, sitting next to Yato on the porch. Hiyori was still crying in a corner of the living room, unable to control herself, and Yukine had insisted he would calm her down before the food was served. He'd sat with her and was currently letting her cry herself out on his lap, while Daikoku had dragged Kofuku noisily to the kitchen to keep her from trying to "help." Yato couldn't fault Nora for wanting to flee all the commotion, she had never been particularly fond of noise. "It's stupid to get so emotional over a piece of paper," she scowled, kicking her feet irritably.

"Aw, don't be like that Nora, just be happy for him," Yato told her, opening a beer. "Don't worry, Hiyori is like Yukine's older sister; he'll remember you're here in a second," he teased. Nora pouted grumpily but didn't pull away.

"As if I care," she muttered. Yato chuckled, holding the can to his lips.

"Right," he said, humoring her. He turned toward the open door as Hiyori's crying climbed up again in volume. "Yukine, you sure you don't want me to do that?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, we're fine," Yukine called back. "It is kinda my fault so I don't mind."

"S-sorry," Hiyori wailed. "I can't stop-"

"Yeah, it's okay, cry as much as you need," Yukine said gently, stroking her hair. "It'll be good practice for later anyway."

Yato watched them as he took a long drink, thinking that it would be nice if he could just stop time and live in this moment forever, with everyone together in safety and happiness. A stray cherry petal flew in on the breeze, and with a familiar pang Yato was reminded of his first real shinki, as he always did in the spring.

I wish you were here to see this too, Sakura, he thought sadly, reaching out to catch it.

"It's probably a good thing she's not here," Nora said suddenly.

"What?"

"... Sakura," Nora said, hesitating slightly.

Yato glared at her. "Don't fucking say that to me ever again," he snarled.

She looked him in the eye, not at all threatened. "It's true," she said. "You loved Sakura in the same way you love Hiyori. And if she were here, Yukine wouldn't be your guidepost. He probably wouldn't be your shinki at all, much less your hafuri."

"I-It wasn't the same as Hiyori," he snapped, avoiding her dark, void-like eyes. "Hiyori is Hiyori. She's not anyone's replacement."

"I didn't say she was," Nora shrugged. "But you did love her. You were young still, but I could tell. One day you would have realized it, and then you'd never have learned to love Iki Hiyori." She kicked her foot half-heartedly. "Well, I'm dead, so I can't say I really get it, but... isn't it thanks to knowing loss and suffering in the past that you can value the happiness you have today?"

"... That doesn't mean I'll ever be glad she's gone," Yato said, opening his palm so the petal could be taken by the wind again.

"I didn't say that either. But if you look at it the other way, then you're saying you would trade Hiyori and Yukine for Sakura. Because if you'd saved her, you wouldn't have met them."

Yato shook his head. "I don't think fate is that simple, Hiiro. I'd never trade Hiyori and Yukine for anyone, and I wouldn't have traded Sakura for anyone else either. It sounds contradictory but it's true. Even if it were that simple, it doesn't really change the fact that I will always wish I could have saved her."

Nora sighed. "It's not like I understand, but if you say so."

"Yeah... So don't bring her up again." He turned back to watch Yukine and Hiyori again, his heart aching with loneliness and fear.

"Alright, food's ready!" Daikoku announced loudly. "Let's get this party properly started, yeah?"

Yukine helped Hiyori to her feet and they joined Kofuku at the table. Yato made to get up too, but Nora took his sleeve suddenly.

"Yato..."

"Yeah?" he asked, a little apprehensive. Yukine glanced toward them and Yato smiled, shaking his beer at him slightly to let him know they'd be right there.

"You don't have to worry so much," Nora said in a low voice. "Losing them to outside circumstances is one thing, but... You're not Father, no matter what happens, you won't hurt them."

He looked down at the can in his hand, his smile no longer reaching his eyes.

"You dunno that, Hiiro."

"I do," she said simply. "I know you."

"... That's why you know better than anyone else that all I'm good for is bringing calamity and pain wherever I go. I was born from Dad's hatred, hatred that he felt because he lost someone he loved. I can pretend all I want, but the truth is that as much as I hate admitting it, I'm like that too. I'm the kind of trash who would kill anyone who got between me and whatever killed the people I love. There's a part of me, here, that knows it," he said, putting his hand to his breast. "I'll always be a magatsukami, in the end."

Nora reached up to pat his head the way he always did for Yukine.

"If that were true, Yato," she said, "then this room wouldn't be full of people who love you. You may be a stupid, clumsy child, but you've always been infuriatingly kind when it matters." She sighed. "Father's wish was for death and chaos, but if that were your only self, do you really believe that you would want to change in the first place?"

"Well... no, but that doesn't mean that part of me doesn't exist."

Nora rolled her eyes slightly, clearly displeased.

"You're a stubborn fool. Look, if it will put you at ease, I'll make you a promise, for old times' sake."

"What's that?" he asked, unnerved.

"If you do ever lose your way, you don't have to worry about hurting Hiyori, Yukine, or that child. I'll make sure to cut you down before that happens."

Yato frowned at her. "You saying you think Ookuninushi can take me down? As if."

"I never said my master would do it," she said with an eerie smile. "Don't worry, I have my ways. So you can rest easy, Yato. Your big sister has everything under control." She gave his head another pat and left him there as she went to sit next to Yukine.

"That bitch stray," Yato muttered to himself, breaking into a cold sweat. "She meant every word."

He sighed and took another drink, watching Hiyori and Yukine pose with their diplomas for Daikoku's camera. His eyes were drawn to Yukine's bright, slightly teary smile; he understood better than anyone the desire to protect that precious expression. Nora was good at hiding it, but Yato knew her too well not to see the genuine affection under her carefully constructed facade. He wondered if that was what he looked like too, when he was gazing at Hiyori.

"Thanks, Hiiro," he added quietly. "I'll hold you to that promise."

"Yato! What are you doing over there?" Hiyori called, patting the tatami next to her at the crowded table. "There won't be any food left if you don't hurry!"

"Wait! Hold on, I'll be right there!"


There was an odd sense of unease over the next few days as Yasumi bunkered down at home, glancing out the windows at least once every waking hour. Hana managed to stay with her for a day or two, but in the end she was called in for work on an urgent case, and when the specter or spirit or whatever it had been didn't show itself, she decided it was probably safe enough to leave her daughter alone during the day.

Yasumi didn't tell her that she wasn't particularly reassured by Hana's presence to begin with; Yukine had confirmed that Hana's Sight wasn't powerful enough to notice things that really wanted to stay out of sight, after all.

Despite the bitter way their last phone call had ended, Yukine had dropped by the next day to check in on her and on the area around her house.

"Nothin' out of the usual," he told her, perching on her window sill. "I've got a friend keeping an eye around here just in case I miss something, but it seems that apparition hasn't come near this place."

"Can't they tell where we are just by following us?" Yasumi asked nervously. "Why don't they just wait outside the barrier and catch us when we come out?"

"The barrier doesn't really work that way," Yukine shrugged. "You're probably thinking of something like a shield or a bubble, wrapped around your house, right?"

"Isn't that how it is?"

"Nah," he said, hopping onto her carpet. "It does kinda have a hard edge where the strongest part of the spell takes effect, but there's more to it. Outside the proper perimiter, it's more like a mist than a shield; you can think of it like ayakashi repellant. Most things from the Far Shore really hate coming near places where Ame's barrier's exist, so it's not easy for them to follow you guys all the way to your homes. It's actually pretty uncomfortable for shinki and gods too. Yato and I can come and go as we like 'cause Ame allows us, but if she didn't, then we'd have a really hard time sticking around the area for longer than a couple minutes. The spell also makes it hard to remember that there was anything unpleasant there in the first place; it's sorta like how people forget me easily, but reversed so it affects Far Shore denizens instead of the Near Shore. Otherwise, Heaven would've found Ame years ago; but that's also why that thing the other day is a problem. Anything that can come right up to the edge of a barrier, even just for a little while, is bad news. Catching their eye undoes some forms of protection, but it shouldn't affect Ame's barriers."

"So then, that thing was stronger than usual?" Yasumi asked, gulping.

"Stronger, or more determined... or maybe controlled," Yukine said, frowning to himself. "But that..."

"What?"

He let himself slide down against the wall until he was sitting under the window, deep in thought.

"Hmm, well a long while back, there was someone who could control ayakashi and force them to do things that they'd normally avoid at all costs. He could use them to control people... and he controlled Regalia too," he said, looking uncomfortable. He absentmindedly scratched at his right shoulder as though there were something mildly irritating on his skin.

"You think that person could be controlling whatever followed us?" Yasumi shivered.

Yukine shook his head resolutely. "No, that fucker is dead for good now. Trust me, he's gone. It's just... I can't imagine any other way for a mere apparition to follow you into a barrier."

"Couldn't someone else have a similar ability? Like how the Sight runs in my family?"

"It wasn't really that kind of a gift, he was more of a... loophole, I guess. Amaterasu should have confiscated the Mandate of Hell too-"

"Mandate of Hell?"

"It's how that person was able to control things."

"Does that mean Amaterasu is using it now?" Yasumi asked, alarmed. Yukine scowled.

"Unlikely," he scoffed. "That girl is the most uptight person I can think of, she'd rather tear out her own eyes than break a law of Heaven. That's why Yato dislikes her; she's completely inflexible, even when the circumstances aren't clear cut. Anything and everything that threatens the stability of Heaven will be wiped out of existence under her rule. She's no ally of ours, but we can at least trust that she wouldn't fuck around with forbidden magic like this. I can't imagine any god stealing it out from under the Three Sacred Treasures' guardianship either; yeah, they're Regalia too," he told her before she could ask. "But I doubt even gods could get through those three."

"So it's a coincidence?"

Yukine groaned, rubbing his temple. "I don't freakin' know. Probably? I'll ask someone about it later, but most likely it's just me overthinking things. It's not like I know everything about everything."

His phone rang suddenly and he flipped it open.

"Yeah?"

Yasumi heard a high-pitched voice, but the volume was low enough that she couldn't make out anything that was being said or gather any hints about who might be calling.

Was I always so nosy? she wondered, flipping through a novel she was reading for school pointedly. Truthfully, she had a hard time imagining gods like Yato or their retainers living normal lives like everyone else; she couldn't help being curious about the details of Yukine's life outside of his occasional check-ins with her.

"No, I think he was going up to Takamagahara today," Yukine said, playing with his shoelaces lazily. "Yeah, he didn't take me. Probably just wanted to check in on the place," he scoffed. The other person said something and he nodded. "He'll be fine, we're under the Seven's protection over there... Well, okay, he might get into a fight or something but no one is gonna kill him or anything if I'm not there. You worry way too much, he can handle himself; he goes up there all the time."

There was a long pause as Yukine listened.

"Hmm, maybe he just forgot his phone... Though that's pretty unlikely, yeah. I doubt he's ignoring you. Look, I'm a little busy right now, but I'll call him and check on him if it will make you feel better. Sound good? Yeah, okay, see ya later." He hung up, looking mildly annoyed.

"Trouble at home?" Yasumi asked, only half-joking.

"Yato isn't answering his phone," Yukine sighed. "Which usually means he's sneaking around doing something he shouldn't." He pressed a speed dial and tapped his fingers against his knee, clearly displeased. "Oy, you have three seconds to tell me where the fuck you are, shithead."

This time Yasumi recognized Yato's voice immediately.

"... You coulda just told me," Yukine scolded a minute later. "I hate being caught without an excuse. Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her that; just come get me before you go back... Like I fucking care, idiot," he snarled, shutting the phone closed without so much as a goodbye. He got to his feet, still looking at the screen. "That moron," he mumbled grumpily as he typed at high speed. "Look, I gotta go and get some loose ends tied up, so make sure you contact me the second something changes with your Sight. I've got a bad feeling about all this," he said, looking up at Yasumi.

"You're leaving?" she asked, more afraid than she wanted to let on. "If that thing comes back..."

"Yeah, that's why I need you to call me if it does. As long as I'm with Yato I can teleport over here instantly. But you'll probably be okay. Like I said, I've got a friend watching the area, just in case."

That had been a few days ago, and Yasumi had to admit that he'd been right. Absolutely nothing had happened since, and it was driving her insane. She hated being stuck in perpetual uncertainty; she'd always been the active type, and sitting around waiting for things outside of her control made her feel trapped and anxious. As much as she was dreading the danger that came with her Sight, she wished it would hurry up and manifest so she could get it all over with and do something about it.

She'd been practicing her seals in between all the homework she was falling behind in, so she felt much more confident about her abilities now, even if she still lacked the spiritual power to use them effectively. Hana had always warned her not to rely on them too much; few people in the Near Shore had the ability to do anything more than temporarily startle or deter beings from the Far Shore, and despite the strength of their Sight, their family was no exception. Yasumi had never really paid attention to the warning before, since she hadn't needed to use seals until recently, but it made her feel more vulnerable than ever to know there wasn't much she could do on her own. Still, it was a relief to know she could defend herself at least a little; her aikido was useless against beings from the Otherworld.

It was getting dark when she finished her assignment and she leaned back into her desk chair, tired. Ever since the incident the other night, Yasumi had been getting a lot of headaches. They all started the same, a sense of pressure against her skull and behind her eyes that turned into a deep, pulsing ache that made it hard to even sleep. She had the sneaking suspicion it had to do with the development of her Sight, but it certainly wasn't being helped by all the stress. She rubbed her temples grumpily, wishing it was possible to take her brain out for a while so she could rest without pain for a bit.

Ya... sumi...

Yeah, she should go to sleep, she thought dully. It was technically still light out, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do now that she was done with her homework. She would e-mail it to her teacher later.

Yasu... mi...

She stared blearily at the wall, her thoughts unfocused. She really hated that name sometimes; it was so easy to make fun of and made her stand out. Didn't her parents ever consider what a burden it might be to know she was the only survivor in a line of dead siblings? She always had to carry them around with her, her name a constant reminder that her life wasn't just hers. They died, and she lived, so she had to live for them too. That's what it meant to be the End of the Night.

Yasumi-chan!

She blinked, startled. Someone had definitely been calling her, but when she poked her head out of her bedroom door, she couldn't sense anyone else in the house.

"H-hello?" she called out in a small voice. It echoed back at her from the empty hall, and for a second she allowed herself to think she'd been imagining it.

"Yasumi-chan!"

She whipped around, hands held up in a defensive pose, but saw nothing. The window was closed, so no one could have gotten in-

It happened suddenly, like a strange, overlapping image flashing in front of her. One second she could see the sunset clearly through the window, and the next a strangely familiar face was gazing in at her with a worried expression.

"You!" Yasumi exclaimed, shocked, as she recognized Yato's girlfriend. She was as pretty as Yasumi remembered, but where she had previously been wearing casual attire, she was now very neatly dressed in the white haori and red hakama of a shrine maiden, her long hair tied up into a modest plait. She was crouched on a branch outside Yasumi's room, glancing at the sky with barely-concealed fear.

Didn't Yukine say I should stay away from her?! Yasumi thought, panicking. What in the world is she doing here?! Why does she know who I am?!

"Yasumi-chan! Please! You need to open the window, now!" the girl said, knocking on the glass frantically. "Can you see me?! Hurry!"


Hiyori had no idea what a regular pregnancy might feel like, but as far as her own experience went regarding carrying the child of a god, it didn't seem all that different. There was nothing irregular in any of her exams, and the baby seemed to be growing at a normal rate and inflicting all the usual symptoms on its mother as it went. Beyond an insatiable craving for unhealthy snacks and traditional rice-based foods (which Yato insisted was proof his kid was demanding offerings already), Hiyori spent most of her time with body aches of one kind or another and a persistent level of anxiety that had more to do with being cooped up indoors than any actual fear of something happening.

Less than two weeks into her first semester at college, Hiyori had been abruptly pulled out of her classes after she had a small hypotensive crisis and her blood pressure plummeted suddenly, causing her to faint and nearly fall down a flight of stairs. Yukine, who had been attending her classes with her, managed to catch her just in time, and though Masaomi said it wasn't abnormal to suffer from low blood pressure during pregnancy, everyone seemed to agree it was best if Hiyori submitted a request for medical leave before she pushed herself too far, or someone noticed her sudden weight gains.

Now that she was enrolled, the university couldn't openly take any action against her, but it was too easy for rumors to spread and cause irreparable damage to Hiyori's reputation and networking ability. She hated how unfair it was that she had to be so secretive about something she was looking forward to, especially when no one would have cared if she were a guy in the same situation. She couldn't help feeling a little resentful toward Yato for it sometimes; even if he weren't a god who could do more or less whatever he wanted, he would have been congratulated by society for fathering a child even if he were just a college student.

Hiyori was tempted to rebel against her family's wishes and insist on attending school anyway, but Yukine reminded her that it wasn't just humans they had to be wary of. It was much safer for her to spend the last few weeks of her pregnancy at home, where Heaven wouldn't be watching her.

That didn't make sitting at home for a little under two months any more palatable to Hiyori though. It was dull and lonely, and she wasn't even supposed to go out in her ayakashi form. She stayed home under her brother's supervision while Yato went to work and Yukine went to her classes in order to take notes for her. The weekends weren't much better because those were the only days Yato had time to take on his usual job requests, and since Yukine was often needed on them, Hiyori had nothing to do but wait for them to finally come home and relieve her of her mind-numbing boredom.

Because she wasn't able to go to Kofuku's house anymore, the boys visited her every night instead, though they didn't always come together. Sometimes Yukine stayed home and made Yato go by himself on an 'official' visit so that Hiyori's parents wouldn't forget him. They'd grudgingly have him over for dinner or allow him to visit with Hiyori in the living room under her mother's watchful eye, but under no circumstances would they let him go anywhere with her alone, especially not her bedroom, even after he snapped and asked them what the hell they thought he might do that could possibly be worse than knocking her up. There'd been a nasty yelling match about propriety and keeping her parents happy that had only stopped when Hiyori broke a plate over Yato's head in a fit of hormonal rage. He visited officially a little less often after that, though it didn't stop him from sneaking in and remaining in their blind spots every night.

The Iki family generally much preferred it when Yukine came around instead; perhaps it was his youth and small stature, or the obvious air of competence he'd developed from looking after Yato for so long, but they seemed to think he was a well-mannered child of uncanny intelligence and skill. Sometimes Hiyori would overhear her parents lamenting the fact that of the two cousins, it was the sweet little boy who would one day grow into a reliable husband and father, instead of the idiot delinquent who had somehow seduced their daughter.

It probably helped that Yukine took great care not to curse or be anything less than polite and reserved when he made himself visible to her parents; unlike Yato, he seemed to understand that it was in their best interest to play a part that Hiyori's parents would be comfortable with. He was of course his normal, sarcastic self as soon as everyone from the Near Shore wasn't looking, and he made it a point to keep Yato on a tight leash so as to minimize any damage his master's carelessness might incurr.

The visits her parents were unaware of were far better, though. Every night after dinner, Yato would climb in through her window, often with Yukine in tow, and they'd spend several hours chatting or studying or playing; it was ordinary and quiet, but Hiyori looked forward to those visits more than anything. Yato would always spend the night and leave only when the sun came up, but even Yukine would sometimes crawl into Hiyori's bed with them, too anxious and scared to go home by himself, and they'd all sleep in a warm, shockingly intimate huddle that would have given Hiyori's mother an aneurysm if she'd known about it.

Hiyori loved waking up next to them both, even when embraces and snuggles in a bed meant for only one person inevitably resulted in someone getting kicked or smacked or drooled on several hours later; it was a sign of how much unspoken anxiety about the future they shared that Yukine didn't sting Yato even once, or even complain about being treated like a kid when the other two patted his hair soothingly in the dark. It was crowded and not as comfortable as sleeping on three adjacent futons as they did at Kofuku's place, but Hiyori didn't mind as long as it meant they were together. Yato and Yukine never said so, but she knew they felt the same.

Unfortunately, those moments of quiet intimacy were the only thing keeping Hiyori sane. She'd never been able to sit back passively while others were trying to protect her. Her whole being was itching for a fight even as her exhausted body ached all over.

"I can't take the monotony anymore!" Hiyori complained one night as all three of them curled up on the couch to watch a movie after everyone else had gone to bed, Hiyori's body catching up on much needed sleep upstairs. "I'm gonna go insane if I don't go out soon!" Yukine gave her a sympathetic look from the floor, his blond hair tickling the sides of her leg as he leaned against it.

"Just a couple more weeks, Hiyori," he said soothingly. "It'll be a little safer to pretend the kid isn't Yato's once they're born. We can just say we're watching out for you as a single mom if anyone asks questions."

Yato clicked his tongue irritably.

"When did we decide that?! It ain't that simple, you know. What if the kid looks like me?" he frowned, supporting Hiyori from behind as she leaned back into him. "Or if it's got a divine aura? I ain't letting you guys outta my sight once the kid's here."

"You can't expect Hiyori and the kid to just stay caged up in here forever!" Yukine argued. "She's got to go back to school eventually, and we're supposed to help her look after the baby too! We've gotta have some kind of excuse ready to go for anyone who notices the fact we're all carrying a kid around. As long as Heaven doesn't catch on that it's your kid, isn't it fine if we pretend it's just a normal human kid we're helping Hiyori out with?"

"Again, what if it looks like me or if it's a god?!"

"Stop shouting," Hiyori winced. "Even if you're suppressing your aura, you could still wake up my brother. Besides, I don't think we have to worry about that," she added, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. "There hasn't been a single indication of this little one being anything but a human child. Even if it takes after you, my family has the genes for black hair too, so we can just pass it off as an Iki trait."

Yato sighed. "You two are taking this way too damned lightly; the fact that you're pregnant at all is enough to prove there's something special about that kid. Just think about it! You're not even in your physical body right now, but the kid's soul is here too, you can feel it kicking around." To demonstrate his point, he placed a hand over hers and sure enough, a moment later there was a gentle push against the inside of her stomach. "See? It exists here and in your body upstairs at the same time. That ain't normal, not even with a half-ayakashi mother. Besides, even if we ignore that issue, you and I have completely different facial structures, Hiyori! Hair color is the least of our problems!"

"You're worrying way too damned much," Yukine growled, unpausing the film. "Heaven's not gonna stop keeping an eye on you just cause they've been quiet for a while now. Kid or no kid, we already broke the taboo ages ago; we talked about this. There's no reason for them to suspect you're the baby's dad if gods normally can't have kids, and since they know we're bound to Hiyori anyway, there's no reason for them to think it's that weird if we're helping her out with a kid she had from a one night stand or something."

"Yukine-kun!" Hiyori blushed.

"Well if we're gonna pretend Yato's not the dad, someone's gotta take the fall!" Yukine insisted, his cheeks red. "It's easier if we just say the dad's out of the picture and keep the truth to as few people as possible, isn't it?"

"Am I fucking invisible or something?!" Yato scowled. "Again, if the kid has any godlike abilities, we can't pretend shit."

"Look, can we just worry about it later?!" Yukine snapped, annoyed. "We have plenty to deal with already without dealing in more hypotheticals. Let's just get Hiyori safely through the delivery and worry about what comes after then, yeah?"

Yato looked like he wanted to keep arguing, so Hiyori interjected while she had the chance.

"We still haven't talked about names," she said pointedly, knowing that would catch both of their attentions.

"Wait, at all?" Yukine asked, frowning.

"Not really, no," Yato admitted, shrugging. "Names come pretty easily to gods so I haven't really thought about it."

"You too, Hiyori?"

She shook her head. "I've thought about it here and there, but the only thing I keep coming back to is that it would be nice if it had a character from Yato's name, since mine is all hiragana."

"Mine?" he asked, surprised. "But... there's nothing particularly good about my name."

Yukine gave him a weary look. "What's wrong with Yato? It just means 'night' doesn't it?"

"Yato does, but Yaboku..."

He hugged Hiyori closer, hiding his face in her hair. Hiyori and Yukine exchanged a guilty glance.

"Look, that shithead of a Father probably meant it to be an ominous name, but it doesn't have to be," Yukine said, folding his arms over Hiyori's knees casually. The movie played on in the background, completely ignored. "A divination can be an omen, but it can also be something good, right? Don't you think it kinda suits a god of fortune that slays chaos where no one can see it?"

"Yukine-kun is right!" Hiyori said firmly. "I like 'Yato' more than 'Yaboku' but I don't think either is a bad name. Night doesn't have to be dark or scary. There's a quiet gentleness in the nighttime."

"There are also monsters and raving drunks, but yeah, what Hiyori said," Yukine said with a shrug.

"You calling me a monster, Yukine?!"

"No, I'm calling you a raving drunk, dumbass. Oh and for the record, I also prefer 'Yato' since that's the guy who gave me my name, but I think the name 'Yaboku' is pretty damn cool too. Having a kickass name like 'Night Divination' is metal as fuck. I'd listen to a band named that."

Both Hiyori and Yato laughed.

"Yato would definitely be the frontman of that band," Hiyori giggled. "And I can see you as the drummer in the back, completely cool and unfazed no matter what stupid stunts he pulls."

"Then you'd be the bassist, Hiyori," Yukine grinned at Yato's insulted expression. " And the kid-"

"Would be the screaming vocals," Yato finished for him, giving him a small nudge with his foot.

"I was gonna say they could do piano or second guitar or something, but screaming would definitely be better for a metal band."

Hiyori laughed, imagining the four of them in ridiculous costumes on a stage. "It sounds like it could be fun, huh?" she said, addressing the baby with a gentle pat. Yukine nodded.

"W-we should try it some time, o...onii-san will study hard so he can teach you how to play an instrument someday," he said, hesitantly touching her belly. Yato snuggled against Hiyori and watched Yukine with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hiyori, are you completely set on using a character from my name?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't mind choosing something else if you really hate it, Yato."

"Nah, it's not that. I'm happy that you'd want to use my name, it's just... I kinda want to use my clan name."

"You mean '-ne?'" Yukine asked, surprised. "But that's the name you use for your shinki, so isn't it kind of weird to give it to your living kid too?"

"Not at all," Yato shrugged. "Gods use clan names to show kinship with their Regalia. Why wouldn't I want to have my kid be part of that too?"

"'Sound,'" Hiyori said thoughtfully. "I like that. Then their name would match yours, Yukine-kun!"

Yukine winced. "I dunno how to feel about that, to be honest."

Yato sighed but nodded. "Yeah, I get it. How about this then; instead of picking a name now, we meet the kid first and see what comes to mind. That's how gods do it anyway."

"Fine," Yukine agreed, turning back to the television and realizing they'd missed a significant chunk of the film. He grabbed the remote and began skipping back to a part he recognized. "But I call vetting power; I don't want my little brother or sister to have a lame, embarrassing name."

"Deal," Hiyori and Yato said, both tousling his hair together at the same time.


Notes:

You ever just write and write and realize you never got to the damned point in over 10k words so you go back and try to fix it and somehow end up with 20k instead and no closer to the point you originally envisioned? *sweats* yeah me neither I'm sure there's stuff I should have made notes for in this but right now I can't be assed so I'll come back to it later. ^^;