A/N: Yay! My most exciting chapter thus far, in my opinion. Let's get right to it…
-Also, sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. I didn't really get to edit this as much as I would have liked to.
-TW: Abuse, Violence
Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.
Chapter 6: ...Unravel
The rain was persistent into the night.
The sky was an ugly mosaic of charcoal and chalky hues. Waves of the downpour fell in occasional torrents, striking the city windows and car hoods. Under the brutal deluge of the skies, city goers hurried their pace, clutching their umbrellas closer to themselves. Lights seemed to reflect on for eternity into the reflective surface of the roads, where impatient drivers honked and swerved.
Yato blended in smoothly into the cityscape. His dark coat allowed him to merge with the gloomy hues of Ueno, the dirty, notorious district of Tokyo. Being used to these missions, he knew exactly which streets to avoid, and which alleyways to take.
Glancing at his surroundings, he grimaced; to his shame, the broken windows and shady figures loitering on the streets had become familiar to him. He tugged his hood over his head, using his hand to slick the soaked hair underneath. From his back protruded his moderately-sized backpack, wherein hid the essentials for his job. His eyes were icy, steely; his empty gaze fixated on the assignment that was his, and his alone. He understood exactly how the dealer handled business- it was nothing new to him. It wasn't something he would ever ask for, but he didn't have any say in the matter- not unless he wanted to face the wrath of his father or brother.
Another onset of the deluge snapped him out of his reverie, and he suddenly realized that he stood in front of the dealers' building. Damn, what a mess it's become in just a few weeks, he thought, grimacing as he did a once-over of the brick walls. The windows were covered in patches of wooden planks, along with messy scrawls of spray paint. Its vandalized wooden door and crumbling structure elucidated the neglect it received.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Yato strode in through the entryway, exerting little effort to open the loose door. It let out a drawn out creak as it closed behind him. As the darkness enveloped him, his footfalls slowed; if he tried hard enough, he might've been able to hear himself breathe.
"Kugaha," Yato called out into the shadows. "I'm here for the usual deal."
Silence. Then, laughter. It echoed throughout the building, alluding to the emptiness of the interior. Yato rolled his eyes. Of course, Kugaha, of all people, would make such a showy entrance.
"Yato-san," a voice slurred, before a few lights turned on, softening the darkness, revealing the filthy interior of the room. Broken glass bottles lay strewn across the floor, and wooden boxes sloppily labeled with red paint were stacked high to the ceiling. Kugaha, sitting atop a small mound of them, grinned. "You should be grateful. This time, your old man gave you an easy one."
"I assumed," Yato stated, pulling his hood off his head, uncloaking the wet, static mess of his hair. "Just give me the goods for the deal."
"Who said it would be that easy, though?" Kugaha grinned, eyes wide. He leapt off his box and landed in a smooth crouch on the floor. "Gimme a tip. Y'know, from that part-time job you have, at the- what was it- the Sagami's place? That tutoring, and counseling for amnesia, was it?"
Yato's eyes widened. Kugaha was the last person who should know about that. He tried to exhale, chuckling in an attempt to play off his tension. "What are you talking about? I'm not employed," Yato snorted. "How would I even get a job?"
Kugaha chuckled, though his eyes were frigid as they stared into Yato's. "The defensive ones are always the liars."
A chill ran down Yato's spine. Memories of bruises and hospital beds raced through his mind. How could he stand up against Kugaha, or his father? They were both brutal. Yato swallowed, feeling a thick lump in his throat, and his gaze fell to the floor in shame. "How much," Yato murmured.
"Ah- around a thousand, sounds good."
"A thousand," Yato repeated, eyebrows furrowing. He became aware of his hands trembling inside his coat pockets as he glanced up at Kugaha. The man slowly began to approach him with a scowl on his face, and Yato staggered backwards. "You're joking. That's a month's worth-"
Smack!
Yato let out a guttural cry as Kugaha's fist crashed into the side of his face. A ragged cough stumbled from his lips, and to his horror, he saw blood splatter across the wall. For a few seconds, he tried to regain his balance. Half of his face was pounding with excruciating pain, and he felt like he'd lost control of his senses.
A hand- Kugaha's- gripped the collar of his jacket, seizing him up. "Give me the god damn money," Kugaha growled. "It only gets me a weeks worth of supply, but I still keep using you as my damn supplier, so be fucking grateful. And I know you keep that shit on you- wouldn't want the rest of your family finding out you gotta job and some cash, would you?" He sneered.
Yato's vision blurred, then dimmed, then focused once more. Family, he thought. Images of Yukine ran through his mind, alongside Iki Hiyori helping him during his panic attack, as well as his brother's prevalent grin. His eyes widened. Why did the girl's face, just...
Kugaha's leering face loomed over him, sending Yato a threatening message through his eyes. Yato regained his footing, his boots crunching against the cement floor. "F-Fine," he spluttered. This wasn't the place and time for him to be reminiscing on better times.
Kugaha's grin widened. "Good. Hand over the money; and the documents, too."
Begrudgingly, Yato slipped off his pack with trembling fingers. Specks of blood dripped from his chin onto his hands. He pulled out the manila envelope and handed it over to Kugaha, who cackled with glee. Yato hesitated, before reaching into his front pocket to pull out a dark wallet, quickly handing over a wad of bills.
"Thanks, Yato-san," Kugaha called, bowing in a mocking fashion. "Til' next time." The lights dimmed to darkness, save for the sparse light that peeked in through the faulty window paneling. Yato let out a weak scoff. What is this, some kind of horror movie?
Raising a hand to his cheek, he cringed. It would leave an ugly bruise that he would have to wear on the walk home. Home- with Yukine, and his mother, and... Iki Hiyori.
"So, here, tangent of x equals sine over cosine of x, so..." Hiyori said, her pencil trailing the problems in Yukine's notebook. He wrote out the rule, then made a noise of understanding as he solved the rest of the question.
"So the answer is nine over thirteen, because three cancels out the thirty-nine, here," Yukine remarked, circling the answer. He smiled in relief as he saw her nod.
"Yes! That's right!" Hiyori approved, checking the answer in her book. She then glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that they had already spent an hour studying. "Yukine-kun, do you want to take a break?"
He nodded quickly, adding, "Yeah, that'd be awesome." While Hiyori stood up to retrieve her satchel across the room, Yukine raised his arms, stretching his back. Then, glancing at the now-melted ice pack on his desk, he was reminded of his fight with Yato. He sighed, and fell backwards onto the floor.
Hiyori heard his exhale, and turned to him. "Is there something wrong, Yukine-kun?"
"Ugh," he groaned, bringing his arm up to shield his eyes from the light. "Sometimes, I don't know if Yato is actually lying to me, or if it's actually my amnesia," he spoke.
Hiyori hesitated. "What- what do you mean?"
"I think that I usually just forget minor things, with my amnesia," he said, thinking back on the past. "So my panic attack at the mall, with you, was... worse than usual. But, I didn't tell my mom, because I didn't think..." he trailed off, exhaling again.
Hiyori watched him, frowning slightly. "I think you should tell her, Yukine-kun," she advised, taking a seat on the floor. "She's your mother, after all. But, about what you said before- I don't think Kogami-san would lie to you."
He suddenly turned to look at her. "Huh?" After waiting for her response for a few moments, and receiving none, he continued. "Why?"
"Because..." Hiyori paused, thinking. "From what I've seen, he seems stubborn in his ways, and you two have been friends for a while, right?" Seeing Yukine nod, she went on. "Well, during school yesterday, he really helped me out with some of my own problems. At the time, I was glad, but also confused. Now, looking back on it, I can see that he kept talking to me because he's actually a caring person. A careless person wouldn't've stayed."
Yukine's eyes widened as he listened to her analysis. Had she been analyzing both of them this much, the whole time? Or was she just a perceptive person? "You're... so- you're saying that, he wouldn't lie to me, because he's stubborn and caring?"
Hiyori let out a small giggle. "Sounds funny the way you say it, but yup! That's what I was thinking."
Yukine let a smile tug at the corner of his face. "He would freak out if he knew someone analyzed him that quickly," he said, glancing at the clock once more. A frown grew across his face. Had it really been an hour since Yato had left to go to work? When he was with Hiyori, it felt as though time moved more slowly.
Hiyori followed his line of sight. "Are you worried about where he is?" she asked.
Yukine's cheeks heated up slightly. "I-I guess," he admitted. "I can tell how much I should worry by how he acts. He's kinda obvious with his emotions."
Hiyori nodded subconsciously. "Well, how much- how much do you think we should worry about him, tonight?"
Yukine gazed off, to the side. "A lot," he confessed. "He's been acting dick-ish the entire week." He quickly covered his mouth, horrified that he had let slip an expletive. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"
"So you remember general behavior?" Hiyori asked, regarding him with curious eyes. "But not details?"
Yukine was slightly taken aback. She'd ignored his accidental slip of a curse word? "Y-Yeah. I think." He paused. "I know that he's been stressed the past week, and it's not just from school, because he doesn't really care about that."
Hiyori's brows furrowed. "Wait," she began. "I don't know if you can tell me, but... why does Kogami-san live here?"
Yato turned to her out of surprise. "Well, he..." he trailed off. Could he tell her? Yato would be livid with him, but she was practically already involved with them, right? Well, as long as I keep it brief, he figured. "Yeah, he- he doesn't have a great family. So, he ran away about a year ago to stay here."
Hiyori sucked in a breath in surprise, remembering the moment after school when Yato had driven off in a car. Yukine had also been with her. "So, that day, after school, you said his brother was in the car with Kogami-san, right?" Yukine's eyes widened. She remembered that? He considered denying it, but after staring into her curious eyes, he gave a small nod. "Why was his brother...?"
"I don't know," Yukine answered, scowling. Why did Yato keep going back to his terrible family, when he already had him? "Yato doesn't tell me much. Actually, I hate how he doesn't tell me anything."
Hiyori frowned at Yukine. To her surprise, she realized that his fists were trembling in his lap. He just wants the best for his friend, Hiyori thought. Even with his own problems, he still manages to think about others. She watched his expression shift from a frown to a glazed over indifference. "Well, I think that he's just a private person," she commented, trying to alleviate his frustration. "And that it's hard for him to open up to anyone. If what you said about his family is true, well..." she averted her eyes to the floor. "It's hard to discuss personal issues with other people, even your best friends-"
"But I don't get it!" Yukine snapped, making Hiyori jump in surprise. He stood up, wet eyes shining under the bedroom lights. "He always helps me out with my amnesia episodes, because I tell him about all the problems I'm having. Then, he goes around doing whatever without telling me, not telling me any of his problems!"
Hiyori patiently waited for him to finish his outburst. When he finished, he sat down and huffed. "Yukine-kun," she started. "You're just really worried for him, aren't you?"
"What?" Yukine mumbled. "I mean, I-" he cut himself off, huffing. She was right, again. God damn it. "How are- how are you so perceptive?"
Hiyori cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean? I just try to help out people if I can."
His eyes widened, and his fists unclenched. How did she have such a calming influence on him? Instead of snapping again, he looked away shyly. "Can we start studying again?"
Hiyori smiled at him. "Of course," she agreed.
After another hour of fervent studying and a few bouts of frustration thrown in, Hiyori and Yukine both took deep stretches, deciding to end the tutoring session. As Hiyori packed up her books and organized them in her bag as she prepared to leave, she was stopped by Yukine.
"Hiyori?" Yukine asked, quietly.
Hiyori turned to him. "Yes?"
"Can you make sure that Yato doesn't do anything stupid at school?" he asked. His fingers fidgeted nervously under the table.
Hiyori stared at him for a few seconds. "I will," she answered, tightening the grip on her bag. She smiled at the way he avoided her gaze. "I'll be back on Tuesday, okay?"
Yukine swiveled to her with surprised eyes. "That soon?"
"Yes," she replied. "I agreed to meet with you every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with your mother."
"Oh- oh, okay," he answered, glancing at her shyly. "See you- see you Tuesday?"
"I'll see you then!" Hiyori responded, wearing a bright smile as she left his room.
Yato's boots slogged through the soppy, muddied streets, splashed by the occasional car that passed by. His drenched bangs hung low, leaving trails of water running down his forehead. His cheek burned from where Kugaha had pummeled him. He grazed it with his fingertips and winced- it would surely leave an ugly bruise for a couple of days. As with all 'appointments', he was leaving both physically scarred and mentally shaken.
The rain had weakened, turning to a light drizzle; a quiet din for the agony of his mind. After what felt like hours of stumbling through dark alleyways and trampling over mounds of trash, he began to hear the clamor of the songs and advertisements from the main city square, as well as the commotion of citizens and tourists causing a racket. Despite the overcast weather, the intersection was as busy as usual, albeit covered by a flurry of umbrellas.
Yato exhaled, exhausted from the long journey from Ueno to the central hub of Roppongi, Tokyo. He approached a store, where models wearing expensive outfits were on display in the glass window. He plunked himself down on the small ledge. Hoards of people walked by in a blur, lights from cars and taxis traveling through his line of vision. He burrowed his pounding head in between the cover of his aching legs. If only he could just- fall asleep then and there...
"Hello, sir?" A feminine voice called. "Sir, if you're awake," Yato slowly tugged his head upwards, towards the noise. "You should go and buy some food with this money..." The words died on the stranger's lips the instant sapphire met amethyst.
Yato couldn't seem to move his mouth. He opened his mouth dumbly, without thinking- "I- uh, I'm not homeless-"
Hiyori's eyes widened in alarm. "K-Kogami-san..? What happened to your face?" she cried, her eyes quickly taking in the features of his countenance. She took a sharp intake of breath. "You-"
"Nothing," he muttered, his face souring into a frown. "It's nothing." Yato shot up, pulling his hood over his head. "I have to go." He turned around to leave, brisk, yet haggard steps taking him away from her standing form. Hiyori watched his retreating back, paralyzed. She couldn't just leave him like that, could he? That welt- the left side of his face had been purple, with blood running from the corner of his lip. That couldn't have been just an accident.
He was blending well into the crowd, but Hiyori was not one to give up so easily. After hearing Yukine's words of concern, there was no way she could let him walk around the city alone. She craned her neck in vain, trying to overlook the heads of the fast-paced city goers. God, why is this an exact repeat of chasing Yukine, yesterday? She hurried her stride, pushing through the crowd. She ran against the deluge that pounded against her umbrella, while bumping into tourists, crying out "excuse me's," and tripping over her own feet. She didn't know why, but her heart tugged at her body to push herself to help him- to save him. He had looked so, so, lonely, so weak and alone, sitting on the wet ledge all by himself.
"Kogami-san!" She yelled, cupping her mouth with pale hands. "Kogami-san!"
Why was he so far away? How was he so elusive? She'd known that he'd wanted to stay alone at school because he didn't want anyone involved in his problems- well, why couldn't he allow someone like her to help him, especially at desperate times like this?
She came to a stop at an intersection as the traffic lights turned red. Cars began to drive over the white lines of the crosswalk, illuminating the other side of the road; and that was when she saw him again. His figure, cloaked in black, with the signature purple welt on his cheek. He hurried across the side of the street, moving farther and farther away from where she stood. And, suddenly, to her horror, he tripped and fell, landing with a splash in a puddle.
The cars in the street came to an eventual stop. As soon as the crosswalk light turned white, she ran across to the other side of the street, to him, who sat on his hands and knees. "Kogami Yato-san!" she cried, nearing his frame.
For a brief moment, Yato paused, hearing his name being called. His gaze slowly turned to the source, recognizing Hiyori as she walked towards him. Why was she still looking for him? He inhaled deeply, and fell into a coughing fit. His head was pounding, and his muscles were crying from excruciating pain.
She paused, breathing heavily. She approached him until she was just a few feet away. He reciprocated her stare with fluttering eyes.
"Let's go to the hospital." Hiyori held out her hand, face set with determination. "You need medical atten-"
"No, not the hospital," Yato muttered, shaking his head as he lamely stood up with the help of her hand. "Anywhere but the hospital."
Hiyori opened her mouth, then closed it partway. She decided to ignore his aversion to hospitals for the moment, knowing that everyone had their fears. She thought of plausible options, tapping her chin. "You should come to my house, then," she urged.
"Y-Your house?" Yato stumbled out, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. "No, that's-"
"I'm bringing you," she insisted. "Can you hold my hand?" His eyes widened, lips parting to refuse- but he hesitated. His cheek still throbbed, he noticed.
"O-Okay," he agreed. Before he even had the change to react, she already had a loose grip on his arm, pulling him. He grunted as he nearly tripped over his own feet, and Hiyori swiveled back to look at him, biting her lip.
"Sorry, are your legs hurt, too?" she asked.
"No, I just tripped," Yato replied hastily, though awkwardly. When he saw her worried expression, he felt his heart thud within his chest. Were all people supposed to be this- gentle, and make him feel this warm?
"Oh, okay," Hiyori spoke. "My house is an apartment, two blocks down. Can you make it? Or do you want me to carry you on my back?"
"C-Carry me?" Yato spluttered. "N-No, ah- I'm fine."
"If you say so," Hiyori acknowledged, eyes reflecting her concern. "You can still lean on me, if you want to."
Yato felt blood creeping into his cheeks, and he looked down, fumbling with the sleeve of his coat. He shook his head. He didn't know why, but he let her get close enough to him so that he could lean on her.
Keeping an arm over his shoulders, her other hand holding an umbrella over the two, Hiyori led them through the busy streets of Tokyo. Yato almost tripped on the feet of passerby, several times, but he managed to keep his balance. He observed the back of her head. The top of her hair was matted wet, although the rest that had avoided the graze of rain fell as it normally did, cascading down her back like strands of silk. While he was absorbed in her qualities, he didn't realize that she had come to a halt, and almost crashed into her back. He took a moment to regain his balance.
"This is my apartment building," she spoke, pointing to her apartment building. "Follow me."
"Ouch!" he hissed, pulling away from her and leaning against her bed.
Hiyori apologized, taking away some of the pressure that she had been using to hold the disinfectant pad against his face. "I'm sorry, you're just going to have to bear through this," she whispered, concentrated on fixing the damage to his face. "Just one more time-"
"Agh!" he cried. "How are you so ruthless with doctor-ish stuff? Damn."
She smiled as she heard his usual tone return to his voice. "It's because I'm interested in becoming one, when I'm older," Hiyori replied, whilst grimacing. Despite being satisfied with the amount of blood she had cleaned from his face, it had created a mess of dirty towels and cloth on her floor.
"Oh," he answered, flinching once again as she applied more pressure.
"I'm finished," she spoke, handing him an ice pack. He pressed it against his face. She chuckled, and Yato felt a sudden pang in his chest. "This is just like a repetition of a few hours ago, with Yukine," she whispered, her smile fading. The two were similar, though they never seemed to realize it.
Yato winced as he traced the contour of his cheek. To be in this close of proximity with a girl was; odd, or slightly nerve-wracking, to say the least. "So, how did the tutoring for Yukine go?" he said, his breathing ragged. He glanced at her preoccupied countenance.
"Good, but- wait, are you changing the subject?" she asked. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "You still have a lot of questions to answer, you know."
He looked down, feeling a slight weight in his chest. "I know. I still can't tell you much."
"Why?" she persisted. "I don't understand. I'd want to help. Your family-"
"My family?" Yato retorted, clenching his fist. "God damn it, Yukine-"
Hiyori shook her head fervently. "No, he didn't tell me much!" she denied. "If anything, it was my fault."
Yato sighed, combing a hand through his wet hair. "Everyone has their own secrets they want to keep, don't they?" his gaze boring into hers. "You probably do, too, but I respect the secrets of strangers as well." He narrowed his eyes. "You really, really don't want to get involved with me."
Hiyori gulped. The same thing, over and over again, she thought. "I-I don't know how- you always look so- lonely, all the time. I can see it," she continued, gripping her shirt tightly. "I just want to help you. And, we're not strangers, by the way, Kogami-san."
Yato felt his heart stop for a second. His mouth opened, but he couldn't seem to form any words. How did she- how did she make him feel this way, in just a matter of a few seconds? A warmth spread throughout his chest, rising to his face.
"So, can you at least tell me who hurt you?" she asked. She had placed her hand near his, and their fingers were almost touching. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.
"It's-" he paused. "I've never told anyone, not even Yukine really, but," he continued in a low voice. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."
"I promise," she insisted, matching his stare with equal intensity.
He exhaled. "It's for this- job. And the guy I always meet is pretty violent, with a short fuse."
Hiyori's eyes widened- Yukine's guess had been accurate, after all! "Why are you working for someone like that?" she asked, creases of worry marring her forehead.
"No, I can't get out of it- I can't really talk about it," he spoke. His entire body slumped. "It's just- I don't know. My whole life is fucked up."
"No, there has to be a way," Hiyori insisted. "I can help you, somehow, right?"
A ridiculous notion came to Yato's mind, and his chest began to pound. His face burned. How could he even think of something like that? "I'm not sure," he responded, looking down. Her finger had edged closer to his hand, and he felt a light tingling at the bridge of contact.
"Well," Hiyori said, thinking. She pulled her hand away, making Yato subconsciously frown. "How much does Yukine know?"
"Enough," he replied. He then realized that he was getting tired, fast, with his vision blurring before him. His head pounded, and his cheek throbbed. Noticing her eyes of disapproval, he slipped out, "Ah... that's a code word for nothing..."
"K-Kogami-san!" Hiyori cried as he nodded off onto her shoulder. She shook him lightly. "Are you-"
Yato recovered quickly, groaning. Noticing he was leaning on her shoulder, he leapt off. "Ah- oh God! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine," she replied, a modest smile decorating her countenance. "But also, um- I think you should stay here."
"Stay?" he repeated. "Stay where?"
"Like, in my house," she replied, blushing slightly. "I don't mean it in an inappropriate way! It's just-"
"W-What !" he stuttered, taking a step back. "You- I-I should sleep on the couch- wait, why am I sleeping over?"
"I don't think you're in any position to go back to Yukine's place tonight," she answered. "So, um, I'm offering for you to stay the night?"
His face had turned bright red. "I-I mean, that's..." He couldn't find it in himself to finish the sentence.
"Sorry, my brother's kind of coming very home soon, and it would be bad if he saw you here, because we're not exactly on good terms right now," she chuckled awkwardly. His eyes flashed with recognition as he remembered what she had told him yesterday, through teary eyes- my brother lied to me, and my mother might die! "So you would have to stay in my bedroom, because this house doesn't have any extra rooms, and my brother would be able to see us in my mother's room."
He watched her comb her messy, wet hair with slender fingers. "Stay the night," he repeated, to which Hiyori nodded. So many thoughts were racing through his mind- how could he stay in a girl's house, in her bedroom? How could he do this without telling Yukine? What if her brother found them? Wait, how would Kouto even find out? He rolled his eyes. It wasn't like they were doing anything inappropriate, were they? He knew that he shouldn't worry so much, but he still did. His face was still on fire- he couldn't force himself to look her in the eyes, even if he tried.
"And I would set my own futon bed in here, so we wouldn't have to share a bed," Hiyori continued, blushing lightly at her suggestion. "That would work, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I guess," he responded.
Maybe if you did this for me every time, that's all the help I need, he'd thought.
A/N: Oh, yeah. This is where it starts getting fun ;)
-So, I was thinking I could release my next chapter by... next Friday? I'm sorry for the late release, but I'm just not sure if I have enough time to write up a decent chapter in time.
-I watched Erased, and my mind's blown. It's a great show! Also, again, my ears are always open (?) for some good romance anime :D
-Sorry, guys, if there are changes in my update schedule. I'm going through really rough times right now, and it's been really stressful. Hopefully, things get better soon :c But thank you to all who have been understanding to my problems- I really, really appreciate it.
-Find me on tumblr writeyatori for any special news or updates.
-Anddd, I always have to say I love you guys and your sweet comments and favs/follows C:
~exie