Mamorigami~Protective God
Sometimes, Yato didn't know what he was doing. The blight got worse every day that passed, and he didn't do anything to stop it. Most gods would have kicked out or killed their regalia for stinging them just once, yet Yato still hadn't done a single thing.
He'd known full well that the teenaged ones were the hardest when he took on Yukine, but the blond was an especially tough egg to crack. The kid was stubborn. There was no doubt about that. He'd never seen a child with such an affinity for sin.
Sure, the kid knew what he was doing was wrong, but Yato didn't think he realized the full consequences of what he was doing. Yukine believed that the whole world revolved around him, and nobody else mattered. He thought that since he was now technically dead, there was no right or wrong; he could do anything he wanted without consequence, because nobody could see him. Oh how wrong he was. No matter how many times Yato slapped the back of the blond's head or tried to tell him, he stubbornly refused to listen.
This was why he hated kids…
But still, Yato couldn't bring himself to abandon the boy. As much of a literal pain in the neck he was, the god couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Especially since…
Dad came home drunk again.
No! He's after me! I've gotta hide!
Don't touch me! I don't want to be hurt again…
It's so dark… I don't like it. How long will I be locked in here this time?
I'm lonely…
Blood… so much blood.
When will this nightmare stop?
I'm so scared.
Yato jerked himself out of the memories, sniffling and wiping roughly at his eyes. Whenever a god took in a spirit, they gained all of their past memories. The regalia themselves didn't remember anything, and it was the gods' job never to reveal it to them. Nothing good ever came out of that. Yukine's past was filled with pain, loneliness, and terror, and Yato was glad that he couldn't remember. When he'd taken him in, he hadn't been prepared for the onslaught of horrible memories that assaulted his mind. It had taken all he could to focus on slaying the monster before he let himself fully acknowledge Yukine's past. From the memories, Yato knew the blond's greatest fears.
Yukine was scared of the dark, of being alone and abandoned. The kid desperately needed a constant in his life, a proper parent; someone who would care for him and love him unconditionally. Yato knew what it was like to be alone more than anyone, and he refused to watch another person go through that if he had any say about it. He wouldn't wish his life upon anybody. No, he was not going to let Yukine go. The kid deserved a chance, and no other god would give that. If it resulted in his own death, then so be it.
He believed in Yukine, and he hoped with all his heart that Yukine had faith in him too.
Yato winced and grunted, gripping the back of his neck. Yukine had stung him again. Time to go see what the kid was up to: stealing, no doubt. He stood up, forcing the pain to the back of his mind. All things required a price to pay. If this was his, then so be it. He was going to give Yukine the best chance he could, even if it killed him in the process. After all, he didn't have much else to live for.