Hello there! So, in this one shot, a misunderstanding causes some interesting developments and there is a forehead kiss. I got a prompt for a real kiss and that will be coming soon.
Please leave a review or follow. I'm not sure how I feel about this, it didn't really come out how I imagined, but I'd love to know what you all think.
DISCLAIMER:
I DON'T OWN NORAGAMI.
SMUDGED LIPSTICK PROMISES
He couldn't shake the feeling of seeing that crimson color on her lips.
It was so vibrant and only served to continuously drive his attention to her face and her plump lips. He walked behind her and tried to keep his face away from the others because he felt himself heating up at his behavior right now. Hiyori was his friend and he was in some sort of frenzy in which he just wanted to look at her shamelessly.
He was intoxicated by her beauty, but along with the pull he felt a push.
Her eyes were wide and bright. Her lashes were lengthened and dark. He became mesmerized by how her lashes would seem to lay kisses upon her cheeks as she blinked, almost as though butterfly wings were flapping against her cheeks.
He felt uncomfortable with this situation and felt exposed.
That stuff on her face made her eye-catching, but it also hid her and he didn't like that. He liked the natural pale pink of her lips and how they would gain a sheen when she'd she would run her tongue- he grabbed at his hair and ran a hand through it roughly. He was being a pervert and he felt so mortified by it. What would Yukine say if he knew?
Yato shivered at the thought. The young shinki would probably make him kill ayakashi nonstop so he could rid himself of his lecherous thoughts and somehow become a better god.
Her cheeks were painted pink and gave such warmth to her face that when she smiled or laughed his breath was stolen because she was as bright as the sun. He noticed others looking as well and he felt his heart quiver in pain and he only found solace being close to her and feeling her warmth by his side. He felt sick. Something was wrong with him.
He didn't like the makeup that Kofuku had applied. When he had first seen her, no words could be uttered. She was so beautiful and all of a sudden, he wondered what had happened. Hiyori was turning out to be rather problematic for him. She made his heart suddenly begin to beat when he had forsaken it years ago. And despite how much he tried to fight it, slowly it had begun to pull her way.
The Hiyori that had stood in front of him had looked different. She looked mature and so beautiful- he knew she was always beautiful, but it made him worry. He suddenly realized the possibility she might be taken from him. He promised he'd make her the happiest in the world, and some part of him wanted to be selfish and just keep her to himself. He'd protect her, make her smile, and his heart ached from how much he wanted to just reach out to her and hug her to his body, in order to feel her heat and heartbeat against his chest.
He liked Hiyori much more than he was willing to admit, and he was in danger.
She had told Yato and Yukine about doing the normal New Years welcome and they both said that they wanted to join her. Yama and Ami would also be going so she was happy to finally introduce all of her friends to one another.
Although, she did have some worries because what if Yama misunderstood the fact that she had two boys as friends? I mean Yato looked a bit older than her and he was- she felt herself flush. No, they were just friends and there was nothing to worry about.
Hearing Yato talk about the New Year's plans, Kofuku begged Daikoku to go as well and he relented, of course the two of them would make sure to stay a ways back in order to not cause too much destruction.
Kofuku had been so excited that she did her hair in an elaborate bun with some curly tendrils framing her face. She also wore a crimson bow above her bun. When Hiyori came over Kofuku pleaded to do her hair and makeup as well. Hiyori relented. She liked seeing Kofuku happy after all.
When Yato and Yukine returned from slashing ayakashi, she heard them say they needed to get cleaned up and changed. She met them in the living room.
When Yukine saw her, he was a bit slack-jawed, but said, "You-you look really nice Hiyori."
She smiled and gave her thanks. She looked at Yato and was puzzled by his expression. He looked at her as though she were an ayakashi with two heads or something! He squinted and just stared at her saying nothing. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but his silence caused an ache in her chest.
Nonetheless, she put on a smile and said, "Let's get going!"
And so that is how the night became like this. She was ignoring him and smiling to cover up the hurt and rejection she felt. She had wanted Yato to say something. She had hoped for too much.
She had noticed that Yato was very closed off this night. It was making the group uncomfortable because their usual atmosphere was missing. And so she wondered what might be wrong.
She knew Yato was always thinking. Whether it be about Nora, or money and how to finally be recognized, she knew there was always something he worried about.
She wondered if he was worrying about being forgotten. Sometimes Yato would look at her and even when she caught him, his gaze did not wander. His stare was bright and fierce. She couldn't break the gaze, nor could she breathe, but she always felt herself blinded by the brilliance of the blue of his eyes.
Sometimes it ached when he looked at her. She wanted to cry because she could see all of his emotions. Nervousness, conviction, and the fear that she would disappear. He looked at her like she would disappear and he only had that time to burn her image in his mind.
Sometimes she wanted to hug him so tightly and erase those fears. She wanted to tell him that she would not disappear and how she was going nowhere and that if, on the off chance that she ever forgot him, she would always remember him somehow.
Since meeting him there is a part of her that feels so tightly bound to him that she believes she can't forget him and that regardless of what may occur and possibly separate them, that they'll come back together, absolutely. Blue will seem dull in respect to the blue of his eyes and she'll remember him. She'll see five yen and wish for a god yet unrecognized. She'll smell rain and mint and pine and she'll remember his body and the comforting and intoxicating scent that is only him. She flushes when she thinks of that scent, but nonetheless she knows he is unforgettable and for that reason, she doesn't want things to remain as they are. She wants to clear whatever is troubling him.
Kofuku and Daikoku had run off and Yukine had just gone for drinks and she thanks him because Yukine can always read the atmosphere. They still have not gotten to the meeting place that Ami and Yama specified and she doesn't want this to be the impression they get of Yato.
There is a tense silence and he has his back to her as they linger by a tree. She decides to be the one to break the silence.
"Yato?"
He doesn't turn, but she hears him respond with an, "Mmm."
"Are you mad at me? Did I do-"
She stops mid sentence in surprise when he turns to face her rapidly. His eyes are wide with alarm.
"No! N-no Hiyori, I'm just... being weird."
She sighs in relief but says, "You believe me, right?"
Confusion clouds his face and she clarifies, " I won't forget you. If anything, I'll remember you. Absolutely!"
Her cheeks tint pink and a small smile is on his face, but it is not Yato's blinding smile.
She furrows her brow and asks, "Why are you so sulky?"
He looks down at the ground and kicks at the dirt with the tip of his shoe.
"Why are you wearing that on your face?"
She laughs heartily and he looks up at her almost insulted.
"W-what?" he demands.
"Really Yato, that's what's got you in such a funk?"
He pouts and responds, "It's weird and people are looking..."
Oh kami, had Kofuku make her look like a clown? No, that can't be right, she saw herself in the mirror and she thought she looked pretty. Besides Yukine wouldn't lie!She looked around them and caught a dark headed boy staring. He smiled and then she saw him quickly retreat.
She looked back at Yato who looked positively murderous.
"I don't like how they look at you."
Was Yato…she shook her head, the thought was just silly.
"It's okay, Yato-"
He cut her off, "No it's not, they keep looking and you don't look like yourself. I don't like it."
She smiled, he was being so pouty like a little kid. It was amusing and cute.
"It's just makeup. I think I look nice."
You do, he thought, so much so that's it's dangerous.
"You don't need it. I like you without it. I like that Hiyori. That's my favorite Hiyori."
Untainted, pure, lovely: Hiyori.
She laughed and said, "I will always be me, I won't ever stop being the Hiyori you like, I promise."
This conversation was making her heart flutter. She, she...liked Yato... a lot. His words filled her with so much warmth.
"You won't leave right? You won't forget me, right? You won't let them take you from me right?"
His cheeks were specked pink and his face seemed vulnerable. He had so much fear and worry and she never really realized how much.
"Who'll take me away?"
A boy, he thought.
He didn't answer so she replied as she grabbed his hand, "I don't ever want to be separated from you!"
Both flushed red and he cleared his throat and the happy Yato return as he grabbed her and rubbed his cheek against hers.
"You're the best Hiyori!"
She noticed people staring and she feared what they had seen or heard, she tried to pry him off, but his grip was strong.
"Yato, you're ruining my blush," she said.
He let go of her snapped his fingers and said, "That reminds me, you don't need this!"
He took off his bandanna and began to wipe at her cheeks. She struggled, but he won.
He then proceeded to take off her lipstick, but smudged it. Without thinking, he ran his forefinger over her lips and asked, "Why's it so sticky?"
He realized what he had done and felt his face heat up. She was also very red and looked off to the side.
"S-sorry Hiyori!" She only nodded.
He flipped his bandanna over to hide the makeup and tied it around his neck. He tried to hide his face in the bandanna and without noticing had smudged some lipstick by his lips.
That's when Yukine arrived followed by Kofuku and Daikoku. Yato pulled his face from out of his bandanna. He was glad for any distraction.
"Hey guys," he yelled out as he waved to him. That's when Hiyori saw the red streak near his lips and when she saw a smile on Kofuku's face as she approached, she got a foreboding feeling.
She couldn't say anything before Kofuku smiled and said, "Yatty, you're so brave!"
He looked confused and then looked at Hiyori and said, "Your lip color is smeared. "
She panicked, so Kofuku thought... that she... with Yato... oh no!
"No, you're-"
After getting herself and Yato cleaned up, she had tried to explain to everyone what had happened. Kofuku did not listen and Yukine only teased Yato who was nonchalant about the whole thing.
She couldn't understand how he could be so unfazed and moreover, why didn't he try to correct everyone like she was? What was worse was when they finally met up with Ami and Yama and her friends were also convinced that Yato was her boyfriend.
She felt positively mortified when she was told by Yama, "So this is the guy you always talk about. I could always tell you had a thing for him. Finally, Hiyori likes a real boy, not just her Tono-sama."
She winced. Did she really talk about him that much and could her feelings really show that much?
Yato had walked her home because Kofuku insisited they be given "privacy". Hiyori held a pout and looked off to the side at Yato who hummed happily.
Her stare brought his attention to her and he cringed."Geez Hiyori, such a scary face," he said as he poked her puffed out cheeks.
"Why didn't you do anything?"
" 'Bout what?" He asked lazily.
"Everyone thinks that... You and I...and well, its not true!"
He gave her a sidelong stare and asked, "Do you hate it that much?"
Shock filled her eyes and she said, "N-no, I don't…it's you... but..."
In a smaller voice he said, "I don't mind..."
She only looked up at him and felt her breath still as his hand reached out towards her face.
He wiped under her eye and said, "That stuff you're wearing smeared."
She let her breath out.
"You know Hiyori, I made a promise and I intend to keep it," he grabbed a lock of her hair and said, "you're my first follower, friend, and you're so precious to me it hurts, so... I'll always protect you."
"You promised right, Hiyori? You would never leave me?"
She nodded her head and as she still held her head down, she felt the warm touch of his lips against her forehead.
She also felt his lips spread in a smile.
"Thank you. It's the best with you here. I want to be with you forever."
His words had left her in a daze that only when he had been gone for a while did she realize what had transpired.
'I want to be with you forever...'
Yato didn't mind being thought of as her... as her b-boyfriend and she had just promised to be with him always, so what did this mean now? She flushed scarlet and trailed her cold fingers along her forehead.
She was linked to him now in a way that she couldn't ignore anymore. Her happiness depended all on him. She looked forward to tomorrow.
A crimson color started a promise that would last a lifetime and far beyond it. That of a girl and god destined from the start.
Thanks for reading all of you! Please review. :)