Persistence

Series: Noragami

Pairing: Kagome x Yato

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or series

The first time they met was only a few months into her sentence. Bitter and resentful, the blue of the girl's eyes were frozen with what could only be hatred, even as she used powers that had been gone for centuries to help him out as he tried to push back a group of ayakashis during the time Yato was without shinki.

Of course, the god was intrigued. Ever since the most dangerous youkais were sent to Yomi, humans could rarely see the supernatural, and monks and priestesses became jobs that only required them to have the right outfit. So he followed her or tried to, only to be blocked by a barrier. That particular avenue being shut down, Yato went around to the handful of kamis he frequented to ask around, but all he got were warnings to let the issue die and not to get close to that particular area of the city. But the blue-eyed god was too stubborn to ignore it and decided to walk around the place until he found the Higurashi shrine. The area was big and well-cared for. He vaguely remembered passing by before, it was supposed to be erected in Amaterasu-sama's honor, but something felt ever so slightly different. His attempt to snoop around was bluntly stopped by what had to be a tree spirit, although the long-haired male seemed to have far more power than Tsuyu.

No god would ever be worshiped in this shrine ever again, the male told him, and they didn't need any kami to keep the area safe.

So Yato went back to the others, needling and probing until, at last, Kofuku gave in and told him the story.

Higurashi Kagome was, indeed, the last true miko in the country, and she'd been charged with the protection of an important relic. As punishment for her failure the girl was sentenced forever to guard what she'd broken. An eternal guardian to atone for her sins. It had been an important event, with all the big names gathering to serve as witnesses.

There was more to that story, Yato could tell the poverty goddess didn't quite like the whole thing, but she still asked him to keep his distance.

It was a request he honestly considered taking. The idea of having a priestess was tempting, but everyone was weary of the human girl, and he could sorta understand their reasoning. A human with the kind of power she had could be dangerous. And yet...even though Higurashi Kagome didn't hide her dislike towards gods, she'd helped him.

The second time they met was a year after that. Kagome had been fighting ayakashis in an effort to protect a small spirit cowering behind her. Yato jumped to help, only to get a scoff as the priestess walked away, holding the scared little boy by the hand and guiding him back to the shrine.

She'd begun to gather the wandering ghosts, using the Higurashi shrine as a safe haven until they could move on. Every day, the priestess made sure to go out at least once to scan the area for ayakashis. Since every god avoided the land there was no one left who could deal with the monsters, so spirits that couldn't move on were in danger. Anyone the girl found during her rounds was sent to the safety of the shrine. The barrier around the building was maintained by the male who'd kicked him out before, the spirit of the sacred tree enshrined in the property who'd remained loyal to the priestess and served as the girl's assistant. It was an efficient arrangement that looked almost like that of a shinki and a god. Not that he'd ever say it out loud.

But it was their third meeting that had his mind made up.

It was late at night, surprisingly peaceful, and while he'd found a shinki, he'd chosen to walk around alone. He'd wandered around until he ended up at a small park. She'd been sitting on a swing, a bow loosely held in her hands, and he could see the glimmer of tears silently slipping from her eyes. What he could see was something Yato had seen so many times before in his own reflection. Loneliness was a deep and cold void, and while it was clear the priestess was fighting against it with everything she could by turning the shrine into a shelter, Kagome was still sinking in. Being entirely honest his decision was still somewhat made with a bit of his interest in mind. Forming a bond with a priestess was not the same as creating a link with a shinki. More than memories were shared, their souls themselves would become entangled. The priestess became a part of the god in every sense of the word. Back in the day, having monks and priestesses was an even bigger sign of status than having a shinki. Because of her reputation, creating a bond with Higurashi Kagome wouldn't work in his favor. But such a bond would make it so neither of them could feel alone again.

It was a bit of a risky move for more than one reason. It had the potential to attract all sorts of unwanted attention to themselves.

He didn't approach her that time.

The next day he was right there on the shrine steps, silly grin pasted on his face and perhaps bluntly making his offer with over-exaggerated gestures. His answer was a glare and a huff. The response was the same the next day. His visits weren't really daily, but at least once every two months, Yato made sure to pass by with whatever food and drinks he could offer. Kagome's dislike for gods didn't fade, but she'd begun laughing at his antics, inviting him in to share the food he brought. Apparently, monetary support wasn't necessary since the shrine received a monthly donation large enough for her to keep everything well-maintained. One more way to make sure she remained inside her open jail.

Five years after their first meeting, the girl opened up a little more about her story.

He'd known the official story he got from Kofuku wasn't the whole thing, but he didn't expect the extent of the manipulation that went on. It wasn't that she was charged with protecting a relic; the gods had placed a cursed artifact within her body and neglected to give her or her family about it, so she'd grown up as a completely normal girl until she turned fifteen and the Shikon acted on its own. Brought with no warning into the past, surrounded by youkais, and without any sort of training, it wasn't surprising Kagome made a mistake. One that she fixed without needing divine intervention...only to be forced back to her time and told she was to be separated from humanity, torn apart from her family, their memories of her erased and left alone on the old shrine with the curse of immortality so she could forever serve as the guardian for the relic. It was a stroke of luck that the Goshinboku's tree spirit, Shin, had sworn to watch over the Higurashi line and remained loyal to her, appearing in front of her for the first time when the gods decided to show up to take her to the unprompted trial.

Her view of the gods was forever tainted, and Shin took up on her hatred.

Time helped cool her anger down, and Kagome smiled as she apologized for initially taking her anger out on him. Still, the girl refused his offer to become his priestess. He shook his head at that. There wasn't any need for her to apologize. If anything, the priestess was the victim in this situation, but the court of heaven would never accept it, and the woman had every reason to distrust gods.

Not that he'd given up on it yet, much to Shin's very open dislike.

"So...you're just gonna push your problems on a bigger god, huh?" Yukine's drawl was as sharp as his blade.

"Oh, I think I know this place." Behind him, Hiyori-chan added. "It's one of Amaterasu-sama's temples, right?"

"Ah well...not exactly..., you see..."

"Gods are not welcome in this shrine." Shin's annoyed voice cut him off, light green eyes glared at him. "No exceptions."

"Huh?" Confusion filled the human girl's voice. "Wait, hold on, what's going on?"

"I know, I know, but we have a bit of an issue here." He pretended not to see the male's fist clenching. "Any idea of when Kagome-chan is getting back?"

"Listen here, you..."

Yato's smile became genuine as he felt the aura closing in, Kagome's bright voice stopping the tree spirit in his tracks. "You know he's not going to give up, Shin. It's easier to just let the children tire him out."

Nothing had changed from the first time they met.

The girl climbing up the stairs was still just as petite as she'd been 25 years ago, her long midnight hair still flowing freely behind her...though he supposed her eyes were no longer darkened by pain and hatred. She kept up with modern trends but still mostly preferred flowy dresses. And she very much kept going out on rounds around what had become her territory. In her arms, there was a young-looking girl he didn't recognize.

"A new addition?" He asked, waving at the spirit.

"Yup, she said it was okay to call her Midori-chan." The priestess combed the child's hair in a comforting manner. "She's going to be staying with us for a while...and it looks like you've got a new shinki."

"Oh, right!"

Going through with the introductions, Yato kept talking, explaining the situation with Hiyori as he motioned for the other two to follow him into the shrine. Shin could only sigh before going up ahead to put on some tea.

There was nothing the tree spirit could do. Kagome's caring nature ended up shining through, even after the unfair way she'd been treated. She refused to act hostile to people who had nothing to do with her punishment, so his presence had been welcomed in the shrine for a couple decades now., often playing with the children who liked to run around. Hell, he'd helped her build the artificial pond so they could re-route sacred water into it, so Kagome struggled less when she had to help purify blighted spirits. He liked to think they were friends, even if the priestess had never labeled their relationship. He'd been over the moon when he realized it.

All in all, the shrine had become a bright place filled with smiles and laughter.

Still, he wanted her as his miko.

Because, once in a while, he could see that same bitterness inside her eyes. Whenever the topic shifted to her non-human companions the same loneliness re-surfaced, and he could tell there was still some darkness hidden right beneath the surface. And in the privacy of his own thoughts, he could acknowledge he just wanted her. Of course, he wouldn't try to make himself the god of the Higurashi shrine. Shin was right when claiming no god had the right to ever be worshipped on the lands they'd abandoned, but he still desired that connection, that bond that would never fade. The love of a god is a dangerous thing, the tree spirit had told him not too long ago after one of his typical visits, and Kagome, no matter how special she was, remained a human at heart. The best thing he could do for her was to step away and let her continue with her eternal existence in peace, safe within the sanctuary she'd created herself.

But he couldn't, and he very much didn't want to...besides, he'd seen her hesitation when rejecting him. Ever since that incident 20 years ago, Kagome began to accept his feelings. She'd even explained it wouldn't be good for him to tie himself to her, and he could vividly remember the bitterness in her voice. If her trust hadn't been so thoroughly destroyed by the major gods of their country she'd have probably agreed by now.