Yatori Week Day One

Prompt: One colour.

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

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Azure

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When she was a child, Hiyori liked to draw. Houses with crooked walls and misshapen, pointed roofs, stick people and animals made from oblongs on spidery legs, flowers sprouting everywhere in their standard five-petaled glory and trees resembling porcupines hanging from lamp posts, and above all of that a smiling sun sending its rays to the happy occupants of her childish pictures.

Once Hiyori's parents bought her a 64-colour pack of crayons and she made it a point to use every single one of them. But there was one she used the most often. From several hues of blue, she chose the bright azure to paint the sky with bold strokes, pressing the crayon to the paper with her chubby little fingers with enough force to sometimes tear a hole in it, just to obtain the most vivid colour. Without a blue, blue sky her drawings would have been incomplete. Little Hiyori's inner artist accepted nothing less.

With how much she drew, it was no wonder the favourite azure crayon was used up first from all the other colours. She had to substitute it with a navy blue or ultramarine, but it wasn't the same anymore. She didn't like it as much.

Now, years later, Hiyori rarely draws. She's convinced that she has no talent whatsoever and only reaches for art supplies when the class requires it.

Hiyori sighs and stares at a blank sheet, a pencil poised above it. She has to start on her art project - a portrait of a famous person - but her head is as devoid of ideas for who to draw as the paper before her. She wishes for some form of divine inspiration.

If only it was that easy…

"Hey, Hiyori, what's up?"

A hand landing on her shoulder startles the girl and she jumps in her seat with a small yelp. She whirls around. "Yato! Don't scare me like that!"

"Not my fault you're easily scared," he says with a cheeky smile, which she can't help but return.

"I'm not! Besides, what are you doing here? I'm busy!" She crosses her arms resolutely. She can't allow him to distract her from the schoolwork. She wants to maintain her good grades, which isn't that easy when you're an acquaintance of a troublesome god like Yato.

"You're going to draw something?" he asks. "Let me see!"

"I haven't even started yet." Hiyori hangs her head, her depressive thoughts coming back at the reminder of her dilemma. "I'm not that good at this."

"Want me to help?" Yato immediately offers and she gives him a hopeful look.

"Really? You would?" There were literally stars in her eyes. Yato chuckled.

"Of course! For five yen, I can take any job!"

Hiyori blinked. Oh yeah, with Yato it's always about the payment. But it's not much and she knows how important it is to him to gather funds for his own shrine. With a gentle smile, she reaches into her wallet and hands over a small coin.

"Hiyori Iki, your wish has been heard loud and clear!"

Yato flips the coin and throws it into his bottle with the rest of his meagre savings. He rubs his hands together gleefully. "Well then, what do you want me to draw?"

"Yato! That's cheating!" Hiyori scolds. "I need to draw a picture myself for it to count."

"I see," Yato nods. "So, you just want advice?"

She gives an affirmation and they get to work.

A few arguments about the subject of the drawing and several balled up pitiful art attempts thrown into the trash later, they are back to square one.

"Woah, Hiyori, you are bad at this…"

She slumps in defeat, her long hair curtaining the gloomy expression as the black cloud of despair floats above her head. "I told you…"

Yato looks at her neutrally, thinking something over, then moves to stand behind her chair. He grabs her right hand, which still holds the pencil. "I have an idea," he announces.

Hiyori peeks curiously at him and he smiles reassuringly.

"If I help you trace the contours, it won't be cheating, right? Because it will still be your work, just with a little assistance," he reasons.

"This might work," Hiyori says slowly, feeling elated. Maybe this time she finally won't show up in class with a terrible art blob, but an actual nice picture!

"You see? Let's do this!" he encourages energetically, flashing her a flamboyant grin.

Hiyori straightens in her seat and allows Yato to guide her hand, leading it across the fresh sheet of paper in another try. His hand is warm and, despite Yukine's claims, not at all sweaty. Hiyori breathes in and catches a familiar, pleasant scent, strong with Yato's proximity. She loses all of her concentration on their work and instead focuses solely on his presence. He's standing right behind her, leaning over her, his head just next to hers, his free arm grasping the top edge of the backrest, brushing her left shoulder and he radiates invigorating, buoyant warmth. Hiyori knows it's not entirely physical sensation but more of a spiritual one, however she's not sure if other gods do the same or if it's something only characteristic for Yato.

Whichever it is, it feels good.

"Hiyori, how do you like it? Hiyori?"

"Ah!" She snaps back to attention and reddens. "W-What is it, Yato?"

"Were you daydreaming? We're done," he says and she takes a look at the previously empty sheet. Touno-sama's roguish face stares back at her from it, drawn with a surprisingly realistic detail. She stares at it in wonder, awed by the crisp, elegant lines, perfectly arched to form the visage of a famous wrestler and her personal idol.

"Though are you sure you wouldn't want to draw me? I'm going to be a famous god, you know, this could be my first portrait. I could even sign it for you and my future worshippers would fight each other to buy it from you!" Yato proposes, sinking into his fantasies of greatness and fame once again.

Hiyori shakes her head, grinning at the silliness he is displaying.

"Thanks, but this is perfect. That's exactly what I needed. Thank you, Yato," she says sincerely, her eyes glowing with happiness.

He coughs awkwardly and scratches the back of his head self-consciously, looking away to cover up his embarrassment. "It's not a big deal, Hiyori."

Their eyes meet and she is struck by the intense azure, pure colour of the sky piercing her. All of a sudden she feels breathless and flushed. His intoxicating scent permeates the air and she is dazed by it.

The moment is broken when Yato's phone chirps. He reluctantly slides his gaze away from her and paces to the window, taking the call.

"Yato Delivery God, at your service!"

Hiyori collects herself when he talks briefly to the person on the line.

"Sorry, Hiyori, I've got a job! You can draw the rest yourself or should I come back later?" he asks after ending the call.

Hiyori shakes her head. "I can finish it by myself. Thanks a lot, Yato!"

Yato shows her thumbs up and teleports away.

Hiyori is still smiling when she pulls out a fresh pack of crayons from her desk's drawer. With fondness, she selects one to start colouring the background.

Azure blue was always her favourite.

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The End

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AN: My first fanfic for Noragami! :) I feel so unoriginal with picking blue, but Yato's eyes are what really pulled me in to like him from the start. They're his best feature and I just love the colour.