The high afternoon sun pushed its way over the city and shone with and intensity that seemed new to Hiyori. It didn't feel any hotter than it usually did. Yet, everything its light touched somehow was more vivid. The sky was dotted perfectly with small, puffy clouds that looked like balls of cotton on a blue linen backdrop. The leaves on the trees felt like silk on Hiyori's fingertips when she brushed them walking by. Even the grass was too tempting for Hiyori as she slid off her sandals and planted her toes in it. It was cool and inviting and made her exhale out loud. She didn't care if people walked by and thought she was crazy. This day, life and being alive was more precious to her than ever before. The slight breeze beckoned her to close her eyes and take a deep breath. The smell of flowers caught her attention. It was faint. She could tell it wasn't close by but somehow it had drifted to this part of town. It mingled with a much stronger and more intoxicating scent. A scent she knew too well.

Yato came up behind Hiyori and put his hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. Not a scratch. Not a mark. Not even a hair was out of place. She didn't want to think about it too much but she also knew it would be a long time before she was able to let it go if ever at all. Her arms remembered the weight of him. The heaviness of the loss she almost suffered. The fact that he and Yukine were still standing here with her was beyond her comprehension. A tinge of pain radiated from her chest into her fingertips.

Yato's smiling, relaxed faced turned concerned and he looked down at his own fingers as if he was feeling the same pain Hiyori was feeling. The bond between them was still there and strong enough that sometimes they could feel each other's emotions. Yato knew what she was feeling and why and he didn't question her. Some things were better left unsaid if just for the time being. Just because they'd defeated the demon and his father didn't mean that all the weeks of trials and tribulations disappeared. He was sure it would take everyone a long time to recover mentally and emotionally from it. Especially himself, Hiyori, and Yukine. It had pushed their friendships to new limits none of them knew existed. There were many times they all wanted to give up. Yato was happy that they didn't.

Kofuku and Daikoku offered everyone lunch at their place but Hiyori wasn't feeling hungry at all. Bishamon and all her shinki took them up on their offer. They'd all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Yato, Yukine, Hiyori, Kira, and Matoko were headed back to Hiyori's place. Kira had said her and Matoko would have to go back to the underworld to confront their master eventually. They offered to stay for a couple of extra days and make sure nothing else popped up. Hiyori was glad they weren't leaving right away and she could tell Yukine was relieved as well.

When they reached Hiyori's house, she was thankful her parents weren't home. As much as she wanted to see them because she thought she'd never see them again, all she wanted right now was to sleep. She wanted to sleep and not have any bad dreams. She turned to everyone before going through the door.

"If you guys don't mind, I think I'm going to rest for a while."

"Matoko and I will stand by outside just to make sure you're safe," Kira looked over and Yato and Yukine. "I think you two should get something to eat at Lady Kofuku's house while Hiyori rests."

Yato looked at Hiyori. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Hiyori nodded. "I don't want to bore anyone with having to watch me sleep anymore." She chuckled anxiously. It would be nice to sleep without having someone posted inside her room constantly.

Yato nodded once. "Alright."

"We'll be back soon, Hiyori," Yukine smiled. Hiyori loved that enthusiastic smile. They both began their walk to Kofuku's. Hiyori watched them for a while until she could no longer see them in the distance.

"You should go inside and lie down, Hiyori," Kira gently touched Hiyori's arm. "The amulet may have brought them both back from the dead and healed them entirely, but not you. You still have wounds that need some healing." She pointed to the large cut on Hiyori's leg. It wasn't as bad as it was. When the battle was over, Kira had used some of her supplies to stop the bleeding and ease the pain. She wasn't limping anymore from it. But it was still very tender to the touch.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Kira." Hiyori went inside and waved to Kira and Matoko before closing the door and going upstairs. Her room felt different. It felt lighter. It felt safer. Her bed still wasn't made from the night before but she didn't care. She crawled into it slowly and wrapped herself up in her blanket. The pillows nestled her head and lulled her to sleep quickly.

The thick darkness that initially greeted her in her slumber started to fall away. At first, Hiyori began to panic. She thought with the demon gone she'd go back to dreamless sleeps. Now, as the black abyss below her gave way to a grassy field that she swore she's seen before, she looked around frantically for the nightmare to begin.

As the darkness continued rolling back, it revealed a scene she'd seen before. In the distance there was an endless ocean spread across a blue horizon. She heard gulls again and could see the concrete steps that led up to some buildings that looked like temples. Boats were docked by the pier and she could almost hear the water lapping gently at the shore. What is this place? Why was she here and seeing it? It had to mean something.

"Hiyori?" A voice called out to her but it sounded far away. She looked around her but did not see anyone. Before she knew it, the darkness came rolling back in like a curtain falling in front of her. But this time, it didn't feel scary. Instead she let it take her completely. It felt like her blanket. Warm and soft and safe.

Suddenly, she could feel something around her waist. She opened her eyes to see what it was that was holding her. She was met with a white capyber t-shirt and dark hair. Her eyes slowly made their way upwards to see Yato's face right in front of her own. Her heart leaped in her chest until she saw that he was fast asleep. There was such a peaceful look on his face. It was almost angelic. Would that be an insult since he's a god? She laughed to herself a bit thinking about it. His arm was the one around her waist. A piece of his hair had fallen into his face and she lightly brushed it back behind his ear. She wondered what he might be dreaming about or if he was dreaming at all. The window to her bedroom was open and she realized that was how he must have gotten in. The clock in her room had stopped working a while ago so she wasn't sure what time it even was. The sky through her window was beginning to change. The shadows were growing longer and brilliant shades of orange and yellow stretched over the city.

She didn't know how long Yato had been asleep so she didn't want to wake him. Hiyori got out of bed slowly and went to take a quick shower. Kira had given her some topical ointment to put on her legs but she needed to get them clean first. After showering off hastily, she put the ointment on her legs and threw some sweatpants on to cover them up. She didn't want her parents asking her where she'd gotten them. Speaking of which, she could hear some movement downstairs. Her parents must be home.

"Welcome home!" Hiyori said waving to her parents in the kitchen.

"Oh, Hiyori!" her mother said joyfully. "I tried calling you earlier today and you didn't answer. I got so worried but I knew you were with your friends so I tried to overreact."

"Sorry about that," Hiyori scratched the back of her head nervously. "My phone died because I forgot to pack my charger."

"Well, the good news is your home safe and sound," her dad chimed in. "Why don't you help your mother make dinner?"

She'd love to. Hiyori wanted nothing more than to get back to a normal life as soon as possible. Stepping right in, she chopped up the vegetables and rinsed the rice in the sink. She had a bounce in her step that was hard to ignore.

"I guess some time away from the house is just what you needed," her mother giggled.

"What makes you say that?" Hiyori asked ting her hair up loosely behind her so it wouldn't keep getting in the way while she was preparing the food.

"You definitely seem perkier than you have been," her father noted.

She supposed breaking a curse and living to tell the tale had something to do with that. "I'm just happy to see you guys."

"While I'm thinking about it," Hiyori's mother added, "we never finished making plans for your birthday. I can understand if you'd rather not do anything. I can still cancel the reservation if you want."

Her parents of course didn't know everything Hiyori had been through. And she was, in fact, exhausted in every possible way. But she'd already been a refugee in her own home for so long that the idea of canceling the one thing her parents and friends had been looking forward to felt wrong. Ami and Yama had been excited about it for weeks. "We're going to eat somewhere fancy" Yama had exclaimed. "I finally feel like we're becoming adults!" Ami added. Hiyori wanted to be excited with them. It would be her first birthday as an adult. She'd be almost equal to her parents and brother instead of a child. Hiyori didn't want to squash the opportunity to spend time with them all.

"No, I still want to go," Hiyori finally said with a sigh and a smile. "My friends and I have been looking forward to it."

"Alright," her mother smiled back lovingly. "It's at a steakhouse. It's a formal place so we'll have to get you a dress for the occasion."

Hiyori's worst enemy: formal occasions. She was definitely not the "girly" type. Of course she loved to see other women in those long, glittery gowns or short, sparkly cocktail dresses. But she could never see herself in them. "Well, nothing too fancy," she chuckled.

Hiyori and her mother finished making and eating dinner. It was nice to be able to sit down and eat a hot meal uninterrupted. Afterwards she helped clean up and put the leftovers in the fridge. The late afternoon sun had gave way to twilight and stars began dotting the sky. She wished her parents and goodnight and went back upstairs. When she went back in her bedroom Yato was no longer in her bed. Her room was empty. She turned on the light and found a note on her nightstand.

"Forgot something at Kofuku's. Be back later." It read. It was Yato's handwriting. She'd seen it so much in his advertisements. She knew it was his.

Hiyori was still tired even after the long nap. Her legs were starting to get sore. She laid in bed and flipped through her social media accounts on her phone. She also texted Yama and Ami to let them know that she had told her parents she was with them even though she wasn't. Hiyori made up a story about having a pre-adult crisis and needing to "get away" for a while but didn't want to scare her parents so she told them she was staying with her friends. Yama and Ami both agreed to pretend she was with them that night. They all laughed and talked about her birthday. Hiyori told them where it was and that it was a formal dinner. They both sent heart-eye emojis and tons of exclamation marks. Both her friends loved formal affairs but didn't get invited to many except a couple of dances in school. They were both already 18 so they were also excited for Hiyori to finally catch up with them. They talked about all the things they would do together now that they didn't have to always have their parents go with them. Hiyori didn't mind the idea of her parents being around. She didn't want to leave them right away.

Her eyes were growing heavy as time passed. She wondered how long Yato would be out for. A part of her was thankful for the solitude. As much as she enjoyed having everyone around, having them around 24/7 and basically against their will didn't feel good to Hiyori. At least now everyone could come and go as they pleased and not feel obligated to watch over her.

Just as she was closing her eyes, she heard some commotion from the other end of her room. She sat up quickly to see what it was.

"It's just me," Yato put his hands up like he was under arrest. "I promise I won't steal anything."

Hiyori exhaled sharply through her nose but couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little jumpy." She sat up on the edge of her bed. "Besides, now that I can use my half-phantom form without being caught in a curse, I can kick your ass easily again."

Yato's eyes dropped. He walked over to the bed and sat next to Hiyori. "I'm glad you brought that up actually."

Hiyori became concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Well, technically I made something right," he said looking at the ground. "Do you remember when you asked me years ago to fix you?"

"Yes…?" Hiyori's concern grew.

"I did."

"How?"

"This morning, with the amulet." Yato finally looked over at Hiyori. "I was honestly scared. If I took away your half-phantom form, I didn't know if you'd even be tied to us anymore. Tied to me…" His voice trailed off.

Hiyori reached over and put her hand on his. "I don't think that was what was tying me to you, Yato."

"I just didn't want it to potentially cause you anymore problems in the future. Especially if you're going to be going to college. You need to be able to stay awake and stay focused. I am going to miss your half-phantom shenanigans. But, I want you to have as normal of a life as possible from now on. So I got rid of your other form."

Hiyori smiled. "Well, it only took a few years but I suppose that 5 yen finally paid off."

"And now, since I've granted that wish, I'm open for a new wish." Yato winked at her.

Hiyori's heart started to race. A new wish? What more could she possibly ask for? After everything they had all been through, she had all she could want. But looking in Yato's eyes told her something was missing. She wanted to be with him. Forever. And not just as friends anymore. She'd be 18 in a couple of days and she wanted to go into her adulthood knowing what her relationship with Yato was and not this secretive, pseudo-fling they were having. She had to be open and honest with him even if he rejected her.

"Y-Yato…" she stuttered, face burning.

"Hm?"

"There is one thing I had been wanting to talk to you about but there just wasn't ever a good time. I'm really not sure now is a good time either but I feel like if I don't say anything I'm just going to keep putting it off."

"What's that?"

"Well," she swallowed hard, bracing herself for impact. "What are we?"

"As in?" His eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I'm not very good at this type of thing," she stalled. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you know I-I love you."

Yato's face showed he figured out what she was talking about. He looked at the wall directly across from him, wide-eyed. He knew this conversation was going to happen one day but he, too, could not find a good time for it. But now it was happening.

"I'm sorry," she quickly negated. "It was stupid for me to even bring up."

"No," he reached out and took her hand without turning his face. "We need to have a serious discussion about this."

Her heart dropped. Here it comes. The moment he tells her what she already knew. They could never be together.

"I've lived a long time as you know," Yato continued. "A lot of what I used to believe as a new, child-like god has changed over time. And a lot of what I thought I knew was challenged recently and I learned that not everything has a simple answer. As gods, we rely on humans, living and dead, to teach us about life on earth and how to best serve humanity. I couldn't begin to tell you what I've had to learn the hard way. I've lost so much."

Hiyori's eyes showed sadness for him.

"But, since meeting you, I finally feel like I have something to actually live for. And not just because you're human and it's my job to serve you. I feel like I have someone just for me. You've been there for me in ways no other gods or shinkis have ever been there. Nobody has ever had feelings for me because of me just being who I am. And I may never get that again."

"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?" Hiyori mentioned.

"You being human does make things a bit more complicated. This is uncharted territory for me and honestly for any god. No human has ever had an unbreakable bond with a god. Which is why I've decided I'm not going to question it or fight it. There's obviously something more powerful at work here if that tie was never meant to be broken. And as long as we have that bond, I'm not going anywhere. Wherever you go, I'll follow. You know I love you too. And I don't want to make it anymore complicated than that."

Hiyori was speechless. So many thoughts raced in her head but nothing could come out.

"So to answer your question, we just are. You are for me and I am for you. We are somehow meant to be together. Forever. And we can work out the details as they come."

Yato's face was now just inches away from Hiyori's and she was sure if he came any closer she'd burst. It was strange really. They'd already kissed, held hands, and cuddled like a couple. But now that everything was out in the open, it was different. Now, it was no longer a secret that had to be kept. They could be free to be themselves and be together. At least, somewhat. She'd still have to try to explain him and Yukine to her friends and family. What would it be like if they kept forgetting them? How could she explain possibly moving in with someone they couldn't remember? Hiyori didn't want to think about it. Like Yato said, they would work out the details as they came.

Yato's cheeks began to blush as he took his hand and lightly caressed Hiyori's face with his fingertips. It felt like electricity coursing through his veins. A small part of him still wanted to run; terrified he might lose her like he almost did today and so many times before. He studied her expression. The way her eyebrows furrowed with concern and confusion. He could tell she wasn't sure how to react. The way she bit her bottom lip nervously made him feel like an animal. He just wanted to grab her and kiss her intensely but he knew she probably wouldn't like that. They were so close now he could feel her breath on his own mouth; his forehead pressed against hers. Her heartbeat was pounding so hard he could see it on her neck. His own heart raced but he tried to hide it. For some reason he didn't want her to know he was nervous too.

Hiyori closed her eyes and just went in for it. She couldn't handle the distance anymore. Even inches was too far. Gentle at first, she savored the way his breathing quivered a little in between each kiss. She didn't guess gods got nervous about this sort of thing. But then, she figured not many gods got into relationships or were intimate. With each kiss she leaned harder into him. Without thinking, she put her legs on either side of his and straddled him. She got lost in his taste and his smell. They way he held her face with both his hands made her feel safe and secure and loved. Her hands were now tangled in his dark hair. The kisses came on more passionately. Just as Hiyori started to place her hands under Yato's shirt, he pulled her away quickly.

"I'm-I'm sorry!" She said automatically. She must have upset him.

"N-no," Yato stammered. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that, this isn't how I pictured it to go…"

"Pictured what?" Hiyori asked.

"I'm a bit old school. And I know we've already tested some boundaries over the last few weeks but I just want to take this slow. At the very least I want to wait until you're 18 before we do anything…hasty…"

Hasty. The word hit Hiyori right in the chest and she felt so embarrassed. She was practically all over him and they'd just become official minutes before.

"Don't be embarrassed," Yato reassured her. He placed both his hands gently on her face. "Trust me, I want to. I don't want to ruin a good thing. I am a god y'know. We have plenty of time." He smiled and stuck his tongue out.

His playfulness made Hiyori relax. She knew he was right and that they just needed to take it slow. That was going to be difficult for Hiyori now that they'd admitted their feelings for each other and there was no reason to hide anymore. "I suppose you're right. So let me change the subject." She stood up in front of his with her hands clasped together and a giant grin on her face. "My birthday dinner is this weekend. I want you and Yukine to go. I want you guys to officially meet my parents even though I know you guys already know them but they don't exactly know you. My friends and my brother will be there too."

"Meeting the family already, eh?" Yato chuckled. "I guess the next thing you're going to ask is when we're getting married."

"I SAID NO SUCH THING!" Hiyori shrieked; her face beet red.

Yato guffawed loudly and fell backwards on her bed holding his stomach. "I was just joking! Calm down!" He settled down and wiped his eyes. "I would love to go. And I'm sure Yukine would be happy to go too."

"It is a formal dinner," Hiyori pointed out "We'll need to get you guys a suit."

"I've been around for a while," Yato reminded her. "I have a suit I can use. Yukine on the other hand might be a problem. He doesn't seem like the suit wearing type."

"I think you're right," Hiyori tapped her chin. "Maybe we could compromise with him though. I'm going to the mall tomorrow with my mother to get a dress. You guys should tag along and see what Yukine likes."

"We'll be here bright and early," Yato said standing up and straightening his shirt.

"I'll be waiting," Hiyori smiled.

Yato walked over to her and pulled her in for one more kiss. "Goodnight, Hiyori."

"Goodnight, Yato." She waved as he exited her window into the night. For the first time in a long time, she was excited about something instead of anxious. She grabbed a pair of pajamas from her closet and put them on before climbing into bed again and drifting off to sleep with the smile still on her face and the taste of Yato's lips on hers.