Author's Note: Long time no see! Sorry about the extended super long time with nothing being posted. I'll save the reasons as they are personal, but just know that I'm back-ish for the time being. I actually had time to re-read this story and I realize how gushy and gooey is really is, so to keep in tune with the flow of this story I present the last chapter.

Nora sat above the trees and glared down at the Hiyori who was scolding Yato. Her arms waved around in the air as her voice carried through the trees and then she let them fall to her sides and stopped yelling. But her mouth was still moving, whispering, pleading. Nora stood up and jumped from branch to branch, bouncing away. She'd have to do this carefully if not even cutting ties can break these two apart.

"How could you do this to me, Yato?" Hiyori whispered, her arms shaking, tears running down her face.

"I… I thought I was helping you, Hiyori, you deserve someone better than-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Yato," Hiyori turned away from him so he couldn't see her cry anymore, "You don't decide who I do and don't deserve." Yato was kneeling in the dirt, he didn't dare look up at the woman he made cry, his eyes burned holes into his hands that were clenched in his lap.

"Hiyori,"

"Yato, what am I going to do with you?" she mumbled to herself, pacing in a circle, "You tell me never to forget you, you cut our ties, then you try to get me to remember you again?"

"Hiyori,"

"We've been through so much, Yato. Was it really that easy to just cut our ties like that?"

"Hiyori!" at his outburst, she spun around and saw him hunched over, a small pool of tears built up in his lap, "Do you honestly think it was easy for me to cut our ties and have to watch you from a distance? To never be able to hold you, kiss you, or even talk to you? I did it so you could have a normal life, to not be attacked on a regular basis, so you could go to school without leaving your body every hour or so. I did what I thought would be the best for you to have a chance of having a normal life."

"Yato," Hiyori knelt down next to him and held his trembling hands, "Who ever said I wanted to be normal?" he glanced up at her nurturing smile, his eyes were puffy and red from the tears and his lips were still trembling, "I'd choose you over normality any day," she started to laugh at his shocked expression. Without warning, Yato laced one arm behind her back and pulled her into a tight embrace. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and continuously mumbled, "I'm sorry." She let out a squeak but wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently ran her fingers through his soft, black hair.

"I have a new wish, Yato," she whispered and pulled away, presenting the sobbing god with five yen, "Don't ever leave me alone like that again."

He wiped the remaining tears from his face before accepting the donation, "Your wish," he smiled, "has been heard loud and clear." Hiyori leaned in a planted a swift kiss on his lips, surprising the now blushing god. She giggled and ran back inside to catch up with Yukine and his studies while Yato remained on the ground thinking about how he must be the luckiest guy in the world to get someone like Hiyori.

Elsewhere.

"Yes father," Nora bowed, "I understand."

"Good." The boy smiled, "Let's see how Yato will handle Hiyori when she changes."

"How will we get her to change, father?"

"A simple nudge in that direction is all it takes," he laughed pulling out an ink brush.

Back at the temple.

Hiyori was busy helping Yukine catch up on the homework that he missed out on while her memories were cut while Yato sat in the corner with jealousy flowing through his veins while he watched Hiyori fuss over Yukine and not him. Well he was the one who cut her ties, he did deserve the silent treatment for a little while, but this was torture. He puffed out a breath of air and turned to face the wall so he wouldn't have to keep watching.

"I think Yato is jealous," Yukine whispered to Hiyori, pointing at the sulking god.

"He can wait," Hiyori smiled and continued to check over Yukine's work. Yukine laughed which caused even more dark waves to emit from Yato's corner, "I should probably head home," Hiyori noted, looking at her watch.

"I can walk you home!" Yato jumped up and ran over to Hiyori.

"I think I'm alright by myself," she half smiled and began to pick up her books and head for the door, "See ya later, Yukine," she walked past Yato, "Bye, Yato."

Yato watched as Hiyori left the shrine, alone, in the dark. "Does she hate me or something?" Yato yelled at the wooden door.

"Well you did literally cut yourself out of her life, I'd be happy about that," he avoided the daggers shooting from Yato's eyes, "But Hiyori actually likes you, so I can see why it'd hurt." Yato continued to grumble to himself.

"I'm going to go catch up with her," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Yukine smiled at the naïve god running out the front door.

Hiyori silently walked under falling leaves to her house, the wind rustled the branches and blew about Hiyori's hair. She sighed and looked up at the moon, tightly holding her books. She sighed into the wind and pushed her hair back behind her ear. She's been so accustomed to walking home alone that she didn't bother saying anything to Yato as she left.

"I am still mad at him," she muttered to herself. Little did she realize that her shadow wasn't the only darkened thing following her through the night.

-Later-

"Hiyori?" Yato quietly spoke. He gently opened her window and snuck into her room. He sat on her window ledge and hid his face in his hands, "Hiyori, I'm sorry I didn't walk you home, I'm sorry I cut our ties, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, and I'm sorry I probably woke you up just no-"

The door swung open and her parents walked in. Her father was on the phone and her mother was crying, "Yes officer, we rushed home when she didn't call us and now she won't pick up her phone." After some time he spoke again in a shaky voice, "I know she would never run away or sneak out, we just want to see her home safely." More silence. "Please let us know if you do find her, thank you." They sat on the bed and looked out the open window.

"We never should've left her home alone," her father began to cry.

"I wish she'd come home. I wish she'd come home unharmed," her mother cried into his shoulder.

"Your wish has been heard loud and clear," Yato mumbled from the branch outside Hiyori's window and leaped to the ground, running at a sprint. He ran the route that Hiyori should've taken to get back from Kofuku's. He ran along the cracked pavement and crunchy leaves while the wind giving him the extra push from the back. He had to find her. It was his fault she walked home alone. He would fix this.

"Ya-to," a monotone voice called from the treetops, "I hear you're looking for someone, Yato,"

"Nora." He searched through the darkness but could not find the source of the voice.

"She's deep in the woods, Yato. Seems the night can literally eat someone up," she laughed and he heard her bounce away from branch to branch.

"NORA!" he yelled at the empty trees around him, "Dammit." He cursed at himself before sprinting into the forest, dodging tree branches and leaping over roots. There, in the middle of a clearing, was Hiyori lying on a bed of wilting moss. Dark creatures with red eyes lurked above, waiting for the right time to strike.

"Sekki, come!" Yato called, raising his open hand in the air. A flash of light came barreling from the north and into Yato's hand. The demonic creatures took note and moved their attention to the young god holding the glimmering blade. He maliciously smiled before running full speed at the beasts. His ice blue eyes narrowed while he sliced through each monster that jumped in front of him. Ripping through their black bodies and tearing through their wisp-like form he managed to vanquish all of them in a couple minutes.

"That wasn't so bad," he smiled before running over to Hiyori who was still passed out on the ground. He knelt by her side and brushed stray strands of brown hair from her eyes. They fluttered open to reveal a sickly red shade to them.

"Yato, why did you do it?" she mindlessly rambled, "Why do you not love me?"

"Hiyori, what are you talking about?" she began to stand up, her arms were swaying like ragdolls from side to side, "Hiyori?"

"Yato…" her eyes grew black and her mouth, slightly agape, revealed sharp fangs where her normal teeth should be. She looked down at Yato with glowering eyes and lunged at him, fangs and all.

"Hiyori!" he cried out in pain as her teeth dug deep into the skin on his shoulder, her claws burrowed their way into his back to keep an iron grip on him.

"Yato! Do something!" Yukine beckoned from inside the blade.

"I don't want to hurt her!" he cringed and tried to shove her off, but her claws were too deep into his skin. So he did the only thing he could, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. She groaned but made no effort to let go, "Hiyori! I know you're in there!"

"Yato be careful!" Yukine called, "She's not Hiyori anymore!"

"Yes she is! Hiyori please, think of your family, your friends, you don't want to leave them yet, do you?" she began to release her grip from his back and slowly began retracting her claws, "Think of how you'll soon go to college and become a doctor, you can't leave us yet." She slowly pulled her mouth away from Yato's shoulder, blood ran down his arm from the open wound. Her demonic eyes started to soften.

"Ya…to?" she half-growled.

"Hiyori, please come back. If anything happened to you I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself,"

"NO!" she screamed and collapsed to her knees, burying her face into her hands. Yato reached out to her and pulled her into his lap, wincing when he had to use his left arm. He cradled her as her claws slowly returned to their original form and her sobs become more human, "Yato," she cried over and over again.

"Don't cry, please don't cry," he kissed the top of her head. There they sat in the meadow for an hour or so before Hiyori fell asleep in his arms. He carried her back to her house, despite his left shoulder still bleeding heavily. The air was calm and almost stale as small droplets of blood left a trail behind them. Yukine silently followed, worried for both his stupid master and the precious half-phantom in his arms.

"You need… help… Yato," Hiyori murmured, still half-asleep.

"You need to get home first and back to your parents," he softly replied

"My parents aren't home," she said with a hint of sass, cuddling closer into his chest.

"You weren't answering your phone so they rushed home," he smirked as her eyes shot open.

"What!?" she tried to jump out of his arms but he held her with an iron grip and she gave up after a couple seconds, "Yato… your arm," she gasped and reached out to touch his shoulder before pulling back and looking up at his sullen face, "Did I do that?"

"Don't worry about it, you're fine and that's all that matters,"

"But you're still bleeding!"

"I'm immortal Hiyori, it'll take a lot more than a bite to hurt me,"

"I did do that to you," her voice trailed off, "I was close to turning into one of those things, wasn't I?"

"You don't remember?"

"I was walking home then something cold and dark grabbed me and I woke up in your arms,"

"You almost turned because of me, Hiyori, do you understand why I cut our ties now?"

"But that new wish I made…" her voice trailed off as she looked up at him with pleading eyes, "I really do want you by my side forever."

"You won't be safe with me forever," he stopped in front of her door and set her down.

"I don't mind, as long as I am with you forever," she blushed through her confession, "But seriously Yato, meet me upstairs so I can bandage up your shoulder." Yukine also blushed through her confession and quietly excused himself back to Kofuku's. He jumped onto her roof and listened to the exchange between her and her parents. He could hear all three of their voices shaking, each with quiet sobs of relief. After an hour of explaining that she had a fainting spell and her phone died, but nothing bad happened to her, she walked upstairs and opened the window.

"It's okay to come in now, Yato," she spoke to the leaves in the tree.

"About time," his voice came from behind her, on the bed, "I was wondering how long you three were going to cry for."

"What are you doing in my bed?" she half whispered half screamed.

"Waiting for you," he shrugged.

"Did you get blood on my bed?"

"Jeez, Hiyori, give me some credit, I bandaged it up myself," he scoffed. She laughed and inspected his lousy wrapping. It barely stopped the bleeding. She kissed him on the cheek before unwrapping the soiled bandage, throwing it away, then properly wrapping a new one around his shoulder.

"Better?" she asked, gently running her hands over the white cloth.

"I guess, but I still think I did a pretty good job," he muttered, not wanting to admit it. Her melodic laugh brought him back around and she stopped when she noticed him staring at her.

"What?" she asked, turning a few shades of red.

"Nothing," he shook his head and fell back onto her bed.

"It was obviously something," she folded her arms and stared down at him for the second time this night, but this time there was more love in her eyes than hate.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you to care for me," she let out a quiet squeak when he grinned and pulled her down so they were laying face to face, only a few inches apart.

"Yato?" she breathed his name.

"Hiyori." He answered.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Somewhere

"Is she dead?" he asked as Nora jumped through the window.

"No… Yato saved her."

"That stupid boy. She won't be able to live forever."

"I think he understands that, father."

"Yet he chooses to remain with her." He paused for a moment, "How very interesting."

Hiyori's House

She fell asleep with his arms encircling her in a loving embrace, her face buried deep into his chest, breathing in the smell that she's grown to love. He watched her body move with each breath, not wanting to miss a moment of being with her because he had to sleep. His forever and her forever were two different things and he'd be damned if he was going to let that stop him from being with her for as long as possible. He already messed up once. Well twice. And he figured he would probably mess up a dozen more times, but he would go to the end of the world and back if it means he gets to see her face every morning, be around to hear her laugh, or kiss her whenever they're together. He wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of this, not ever again.

The last chapter! I'm going to mark this story as completed and I may update it if I have any inspiration, but being honest I felt that this story was going nowhere and this was the best way I could end it. Even though it was extremely cheesy and similar to some of the manga (which I finally got a chance to read! ITS AMAZING!) I'm proud that all this came from the first story I posted. I couldn't be happier and more thankful for all you lovely readers, followers, favoriters, and reviewers. You guys are great!

Thanks for everything! hopefully I'll be posting more/updating my other stories soon!