I have been toying with idea since last summer. Originally started out as a Post-Capypaland (post-chapter 42) fic, I decided to incorporate it into my "Lovely goddess" theory. Because that is the best feasible outcome possible. Look at Tenjin, guys. He was a human once, too (Sugawara no Michizane, If my memory serves me right). That and I refuse to let Hiyori go the way of "shinki" unless it was a last resort to save her soul. No way. Not happening here. We all saw what happened to Sakura and Tsuguha.

This story may take a while. But I promise to make it worth it.

Chapter 1: Throwing Caution to the Wind

Hiyori stared down at the intimate apparel lying on her comforter. It was pink with black polka dots, bearing a small capyper on the right cup of the brassiere. A few months prior, she had shoved it into the back of her dresser out of embarrassment. Then it got left behind in the chaos that ensued shortly thereafter. But now she was home, and had gone through her things, just to rediscover the gift Yato had given her and suddenly see it with a newfound curiosity. Her mind swirled with various recollections of the last few months, and the emotions they evoked within her.

The brunette stared down at the seemingly inappropriate gift. She fought the urge to pace her room, as she felt incredibly restless and uncomfortable in her own skin. With an exasperated sigh, Hiyori unceremoniously plopped onto her bed beside the offending garment. Her head came to rest in her tense grasp as she resumed mulling over their day at CapyperLand: The "Marry Me, Hiyori!" sign in the picture from the flume ride that nearly killed them; Yato's adamant wish to have fun and watch the parade specifically with her; and most surprisingly, her ultimate refusal to leave his side, despite her misgivings and discomfort brought on by unwanted memories of her first trip to CapypaLand. For on that day, she had been on the verge of forgetting Yato and Yukine. Something she still felt guilty about.

All I could remember is that there was someone I desperately wanted to be there with.

The image of Fujisaki closing in for the kiss was suddenly replaced with Yato's face. She sucked in a sharp breath, as her own subconcious mind bubbled to the surface. Quickly the scene changed to her reaching for her despondant deity.

"To tell you the truth, I wanted to come here with you, too!"

The words had just slipped out, her purest of intention revealing itself just as it had at other times before. She hadn't even realized that Yukine snapped a picture of them talking until later. Reaching over to the camera on her desk, she retrieved the image that had been branded into her mind's eye. She stared at that particular photograph for a moment, recalling her confession.

"I want to stay with you a little longer..."

Pensive violet eyes pondered further as she put the camera in her lap and thought about some of the things Yato had said to her since then: about being able to talk to him about anything; about wanting to know about all the guys in her life; and how he wants to believe her words when she says she wants to stay with him. Hiyori also recalled a few times when Yato got a little too overprotective about other guys in her life. Baseball bats, Sekki and stalking all part of his threats.

Could he be...?

She thought back to when Yato had come over, freaking out about Fujisaki, who she now knew to be his 'father', and the kiss he had stolen from her. Even in her half-naked state of undress, she had already realized who it was she had momentarily wished had taken her first kiss, yet couldn't kick him out right away. All she could do was shoot back a groundless rebuttal about him 'kissing' Bishamon, even though she knew full well it hadn't been and actual kiss.

Jealous...?

As much as it made her squirm, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She picked up her camera once again, unable leave it alone for very long, to look at the same picture for the hundredth time. Vividly, she remembered how she had reached out and grabbed Yato's hand, pleading with him.

Never wanting to let go.

Her thoughts wandered to the two plaques tied together with heavenly red strings. Her face and Yato's, their fates interwined by will of the gods themselves. A blush tinted her cheeks.

At least by Kofuku, anyway... She shook her head in disbelief. Nothing could truly separate us except for Yato actually cutting our ties.

It was then that the biggest question hit her like a freight train:

Our ties...Why can't I bring myself to cut my ties with him? Why do I want to stay with him so badly, even if it could cost me my LIFE?

Hiyori admitted to herself that she was indeed drawn to him. And the idea actually made her nervous. Yatogami was equal parts endearing, tenacious, loyal, naive and overbearing. So the rosy-eyed girl went back to the beginning, recalling her first memories of Yato.

His eyes...

A shiver went down her spine, followed by warmth in her face. They had been the very first thing to catch her attention as she walked down the sidewalk that fateful day. Her physical attraction to him coming to light for the first time as she held her breath, heart racing. She was captivated by his eyes, and his soft shaggy indigo mane. More recently she had begun to notice that he was always very warm, with every hug he gave her.

He is beautiful...like the waters of the South Pacific underneath a moonlit sky.

Suddenly the sensation of Yato laying limp, draped over her body on the side of the road, came back to mind. Her breath went short, as if his weight were bearing on her in that moment. Her eyes slid shut, and the memory of holding him to her, fingers weaving into those soft dark strands, came rolling over her along with the relief and joy of having him back after more than a month.

I didn't want to let him go...

She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, as all of those heavy emotions of struggle and resolution hit her.

He is noble and caring, Hiyori pointed out to herself. Flashes came to mind of the numerous times he had saved her and carried her when her body was too exhausted from being separated from her soul. ...And he loves animals and children. For someone so strong, with a dark and violent past...he's a big softy. He's passionate about being a god of fortune, and doing good for others.

Yato really would do anything for me. A smile formed on her lips as she ran a finger over the minimal garments.

But then again, I would do anything for him.

It was at that moment that the realization washed over her. Hiyori's eyes widened, transfixed on the brassiere in her hand, as her body tingled all over as her heart raced. She knew the answer to her questions loud and clear, but didn't dare utter the words that repeated themselves, ringing in her ears.

Everything Daikoku had said the day after their CapypaLand visit echoed back at her.

"The poor guy just doesn't know any better...the right way to cherish someone who's precious to him."

I'm...'precious' to him?

Yato's nonchalant retort reverberated, "You baka, of course you're my number one."

I'm his number one...?

She needed to know. Hiyori's stomach was already unsettled, but the idea that Yato might have feelings for her, too, made her ever more nervous with excitement. Now, that she had figured out why she felt so incredibly happy, nervous and confused around him all the time, she needed to know if he was hiding his feelings from her.

Daikoku had said that Yato was merely clueless as how to handle emotions.

Knowing him, that could be entirely true. But apparently, I'm not much better.

It was getting dark out, and she knew he would be up still. So, before her thoughts got carried away, she stopped to figure out a way to catch his attention and get him to talk to her.

After a refreshing bath, she tried on the bra and panties. They fit perfectly, leaving her bemused as to how he could possibly know her underwear size, hoping he was merely an amazing guesser. The nervous girl put a pair of lavender sleep shorts and a white camisole over them, then quickly grabbed her phone, logging onto her Twitter.

Hiyori secretly wondered if he would even notice, wracking her nerves further with anticipation. She smiled at her image in her full length mirror before heading onto her Twitter homepage.

Her vague message was just enough to spark curiosity:

"Loves the present Yatogami got her. #Capyper is cuter than I thought! ^_^"

Barely ten seconds after she put her phone back down, her phone rang. Hiyori looked at the caller's name and her heart leapt into her throat.

This is it. Hiyori swallowed hard before answering the call.

"Yato? What's up?" She asked coyly.

"Hiyori, you're home, right?" The deity asked with obvious haste. Hiyori had to fight to keep the anxiousness from seeping into her voice.

"Yeah, why?"

Suddenly there was a knock at her window, making her shut her phone with a snap as she jumped.

Hiyori leaned over her bed and pushed open her window. In jumped Yato through the curtains, landing away from her. Her ayakashi half's heightened sensitivity to smell zoned right in on the god's attractive scent. Earthy, sweet, and slightly musky like an old temple alight with incense, it amplified the newfound affections she was wrestling with.

"I saw your Tweet, and I wanted to let you kn-"

He stopped short as he turned to face Hiyori, realizing how short her shorts were, leaving practically all of her slender legs exposed, and that he could actually see his gift faintly through her camisole. Only a brief moment passed before Yato caught himself and his eyes shot to hers as he attempted to hide his shock by playing it casual. But that brief second or two did not go unnoticed by the newly enlightened teenager.

"I wanted to let you know..." Yato restarted, swallowing hard. "...that I was glad to finally hear that you liked it," he finished smoothly. He was finding it particularly warm in her room all of a sudden. "You never said anything when I gave it to you."

"I do like it," she admitted with a blush, her tone remaining somewhat serious as she thumbed the black strap at her shoulder. "I'm sorry I never thanked you for it...but to be honest, I kinda thought you were being a perv at the time."

"Well, I just thought you'd want something girly that would remind you of our day in the park," he mumbled, pouting slightly and looking down at his feet.

Is it getting warmer in here? The god thought as he pulled at his tattered scarf.

"Really? Because underwear is the sort of gift guys usually buy for their girlfriends and wives," Hiyori retorted, feeling more confident in digging a little deeper. "Because they want to see them in it."

Yato choked on himself. He wanted to admit aloud that he had originally bought the gift with good intentions. But night after night, he dreamed about Hiyori in different ways. At one point she had been his goddess, and dreamt that he'd kissed her. The other night he had envisioned her in her new present, waking up in a sweat, unable to shake the odd feeling that had overtaken him. His once-pure intentions had gradually been tainted by these new

And now, his tongue felt stuck.

"I-I..."

"Listen, Yato. Since our trip to CapypaLand, you have been acting differently toward me...and saying some unusual things to me. And I've done some thinking," she interrupted the god, much to his relief. "I have asked myself some really important questions."

"Questions?" he asked, curious as to her even, yet soft tone.

"Yes, and I need you to answer the same ones that I've asked myself," the half-phantom replied, covering her heart with her hand.

Yato felt suddenly uneasy about what she could possibly be asking him. With a gulp, he nodded his consent. Hiyori exhaled heavily and paused to gather her thoughts.

"To start, Yato, I need to know. In what way am I your 'Number One'?" she asked, point blank.

He jaw went slack, mouth agape. He wanted to speak, but all the memories, moments carrying the various reasons why he couldn't imagine his existence without her, inundated him in waves.

She had saved him countless times, from their very first meeting. Those eyes like sakura, shed countless tears for him. Hiyori was the only one who ever insisted on never forgetting him. Most importantly as his follower, Hiyori had made him his own shrine. Supporting him in his positive pursuits and trying to be his voice of reason when he strays from his objectives, Hiyori insists on being by his side, refusing to cut their ties. He couldn't protest.

Trying to envision her not by her side caused his chest to tighten. It was impossible.

Why? Because she's faithful and caring...She makes me feel l-

There was a long tense silence as Hiyori stayed fixated on his gaze, wide blue eyes much a kin to a deer in headlights. Yato looked panicked.

Yato knew better: It was taboo for gods and humans to get involved. It never could end well, historically speaking. He even told her as much when he nearly lost her to her inner demons not so long ago. 'Forever' was one wish he couldn't grant right now. But oh how had secretly been wishing for the same thing. And now, his ties to her were so intricately bound. Yato had been taken aback when he noticed them recently, by how fate had so tightly knotted them together.

They had both changed so much because of the other. If he were to cut them, neither of them would ever be the same.

His gaze fell to the small expanse of carpet between them.

She's my... The words building up like a dammed river, about to crumble under the weight of a deluge. With a deep breath, he loosed his tongue, lest his heart explode.

"Everything..." he said softly as a sigh followed, putting the truth out into the cosmos. After a small, hesitant pause, he finally found the courage to look Hiyori in the eyes again. "In every way, Hiyori."

The blantant truth and emotion in his words made her feel suddenly exposed. The wall which existed, made of all that had been unspoken, had just been utterly demolished with a single word. The ball was in her court. Her sweet and noble god had manifested everything she had been grappling with for months. She blinked at him, shocked that he had just come out with it, as she tried to process the reality of what was transpiring.

Those oceans of emotion fixed on her as the determined deity stepped into her personal space and gently grasped her upper arms.

"I can't help how I feel. Like every time you tell me you want to be with me and stay with me forever..." Yato hesitated as he wrestled with the constant truth of her humanity. "I..." The words wouldn't move past the lump that had formed in his throat. "I want that, too...but I don't know how to make 'forever' happen. I don't know if there even is a way. And even if there was a way, I don't know if I could ever take you from the precious life you have been given. There's no way I could do that to you at this point in your life. You have barely lived."

Hiyori absorbed his words and feelings. He has the same wish that I do.

"Yato...I..." She drifted off, tears welling quietly in her eyes. "I'm so glad. Thank you for telling me that."

Reaching up, she gently brushed strands of his dark hair that had fallen from his ponytail back behind his ears.

"I wasn't sure of my own feelings, nor yours, for quite awhile," she admitted. "But now I know...For sure."

Yato's eyes glistened with hope, confusion and conflict. But the bright rosy color of his face gave it all away as she rose up on her toes, so incredibly close, face-to-face.

"I..." She searched his eyes. "l love you, Yato."

Those beautiful pools watered with joy. It was overwhelming: the pure happiness of knowing he was truly loved for the first time in his many centuries. It was just as intense as how he felt the day this beautiful soul gave him his very own shrine.

Hiyori watched as tears streamed down his face. She lowered herself back down from her tip-toe and stepped into the former megatsukami's arms, who wrapped himself tightly around her.

He hadn't wanted to go there so soon. All his strong feelings for Hiyori, he knew they were unspeakable in the community of immortals. A god and a human, in love? Surely it couldn't be the first time in history that this has happened.

A human half-spirit, who was the savior of gods herself! She was friend, helper and mediator of the gods: Not only himself, but Kofuku, Bishamonten, Ebisu, Tenjin... she risked her humanity constantly for the deities and their shinkis.

In the moment, as all was laid bare, Yato allowed his vision to relax as to view their bonds as he held her.

Red coiled tightly around his arms, legs and midriff as well as hers, tangling itself in their hair and around their necks. This was their fates: wrapped up in each other. He suddenly felt that there had to be a way to ensure eternity. And he would make good on that promise, because their destiny demanded it.

His eyes slid closed as he buried his face in her hair, his tears falling into her long locks as he exhaled. There was no more denying it.

"I love you, too, Hiyori."

Her lithe arms slipped around his waist and reciprocated the warm, emotional embrace. For the second time ever, she was able to revel in their closeness. His immortal essence overtaking her senses, she buried her face in his jersey, his head still resting atop hers. A small sigh escaped her lips as they relaxed into each other. A long minute had passed before Yato's tears slowed and he was ready to face her.

Hiyori looked up at him, and gently ran her thumb under his eyes, wiping away the last traces of moisture. She ran her hand softly down the side of his face, marveling at the smoothness of his skin.

Her curiosity was endearing, and it sparked something in him, reminding him of so many recent dreams. This was his chance.

He leaned in close to her face, mimicking what Hiyori had done before. This time, despite the blushes, they knew.

They wanted.

The dark-haired deity cautiously closed the gap, lips brushing, melding under a gentle pressure. Breathing her in, the scent of vanilla and soft floral invaded his nostrils.

Hiyori responded by increasing the pressure ever so slightly and choosing to pay special attention to his top lip, while her bottom lip nestled in his. She inhaled and thought to herself.

He tastes as good as he smells...

He pulled away slightly, looking her in the eyes. She smiled sweetly as her eyes flickered to his mouth and back, giving little pause before leaning into him for another. Yato was a tad surprised by this, but happily obliged her a series of soft, tender kisses.

Afterwards, he once again pulled back and smiled softly at his number one girl.

"For all the times I wanted to kiss you, and didn't."

[BREAK]