Thank you all for your reviews! They really keep me going. Hope you like this chapter!

(If you are behind on the manga you might not know why Yato is upset in the first scene)

Yukine woke up with a tap to his shoulder. Bright blue eyes and a cat-like smile were the first thing he caught, the young boy laying on his stomach, head propped up on his hands.

"Yukinneeeee," he whined.

"Ah, good morning Yato." Yukine rubbed his eye and pat Yato on his head. "Did you sleep alright? It's still early."

Yato's eyes shifted to the side slightly. It made the five-year-old look a lot more like adult Yato, somehow. "I slept good." Then he hopped up and held a hand out to his blessed regalia.

Yukine took his hand automatically. Yukine would always take a hand extended from Yato, always. This hand wasn't as strong or big as the ones he remembered from back then, but the little boy was still strong enough to pull him to his feet, pushing back to gain leverage.

Yukine didn't quite believe the boy when he'd said he'd slept well, he knew Yato had been tossing and turning most nights this week, but he let it slide.

"What are we doing,Yato?" Yukine studied the boy more carefully. He wasn't in his pajamas anymore—he had dressed himself his hakama, the obi tied in a backwards knot, but still impressive.

"Come downstairs!" Yato yipped, pulling him forward again.

"W-wait, Yato, do I need to change..?"

He was ignored as the young boy brought him downstairs. Daikoku was already downstairs and drying dishes although the sun hadn't fully risen.

"You two are up early, do you have plans with Hiyori?"

"I'm not sure what we're doing." Yukine admitted.

Yato gave them a satisfied grin. "We need breakfast, please!"

Kofuku appeared from under the table with a big yawn. "What's happening, Yato?"

"I'm going to school!"

A pause. "You're doing what?" Daikoku finally managed.

"I'm a big kid, so I want to go to school!" Yato clarified with a huff. "And Yukine too!"

Yukine and Daikoku paused, then shared a look. Finally, Daikoku stooped to Yato's level. "I'm sorry, I don't think school's in the cards right now. For one, you need a little bit more than a couple hour's warning, and two, I've talked to Tenjin about having Mayu come over and tutor you."

But Yato shook his head stubbornly. "School."

After Yukine had situated Yato in the other room to wait for breakfast, the hafuri breeched the topic again.

"Is there any way that's possible?" Yukine ventured to Daikoku, distinctly remembering the pain he'd felt when he'd realized he couldn't go to school and be like normal kids either. It still made his chest tight to think about it, even if he felt more removed from it nowadays.

"I don't think there's any precedent for this. The youngest god I'm aware of besides Yato is Ebisu, and any schooling he needs would be taken care of by his estate. But it seems like the actual learning isn't what Yato's looking for." Daikoku let out a weary sigh. "I'll see if Kofuku can talk to Tenjin? See if you can keep his mind off it, I'm going to set up the store front. I left out fresh rice."

Yukine grabbed dishes for himself and Yato, and had just reached to the back of the fridge to grab a couple eggs when Yato appeared at the doorframe. Yukine had just opened his mouth to ask Yato to set the table when he saw Yato's expression.

Yukine hadn't seen that kind of wild fear in Yato's eyes in a very long time. Since before his reincarnation. Somehow, even on this young, soft face, it was still something that instilled fear in him, not only out of shock and concern, but the predator-like eyes, fathomless and otherworldly-made him fear for himself. Some said experiencing a god's wrath was a miracle, as they were so divorced from this world and rarely became enraged. Yato was different. He felt emotions powerfully and in turn brought out strong emotions in gods around him. He was not Calamity, he was just...humanity deified, for better and worse.

Even as five-year-old Yato looked furious, but it was fear that outlined his every feature.

And that's all Yukine could catalogue before he was being thrown to the floor. The air left his lungs and he found himself on his back on the kitchen floor, Yato standing above him, breathing hard.

"Y-Yato?" He met the boy's blazing blue eyes.

Tears brimmed Yato's eyes, and they softened and suddenly Yato was crouched down, hugging himself. Yukine scrambled up partway to touch Yato's shoulder and the boy melted into his hold, holding his face into Yukine's shirt as they sat in the middle of the kitchen floor. Yukine was quick to envelop him a hug.

"Yato, what's wrong?" Yukine said. The boy was shaking in his arms. "Tell me what's wrong."

Yato's shivering subsided suddenly. There was nothing but breathing between the two for several moments. Then his god gave a sad, strained smile into Yukine's chest. "I can't tell you."

Yukine's chest felt like it had been hollowed out. For nine months, he hadn't thought there had been a thing Yato hadn't shared with him. Now he was growing up, carrying to burden of god in his own way. But Yato's grip on his pillar's sleeve didn't loosen.

They sat there for several minutes. Yukine ignored the chilly draft from the open refrigerator, and ignored the two broken eggs, slowly spreading across the floor.

The rest of the morning was quiet, Yukine and Yato watched cartoons and ordered food out. Yato fell asleep with his head resting on Yukine's leg. Yato seemed to have forgotten about attending school after the incident in the kitchen.

There was a knock on the door and Yukine gently removed himself from Yato's sleeping form to answer the door.

He blinked. "Hiyori?"

The girl didn't speak a word. She rushed to close the space between them, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. A moment later, he returned the hug, bewildered. "Hiyori, are you alright?" She looked like she had been crying. She took a moment to recollect himself and spoke, her voice wavering.

"I'm sorry that I was avoiding you and Yato before. I—I remember now. I remember."

Yukine froze in place and Hiyori pulled back enough he could see the renewed tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

"I t-told him I'd never forget," she hiccuped, "but I did, and now he's a child, but despite that…" Hiyori's voice cracked but a small smile graced her lips, "I'm so, so glad I finally remembered."

Yukine took Hiyori by the hand and led her to the family room where Yato was sitting up, watching.

Hiyori stopped, suddenly. "Does he—"

Yukine shook his head sadly. "He doesn't remember anything from his past life," he said, watching Hiyori brace herself.

"Yori?" Yato blinked, rubbing his eye uncertainly.

"Hi, Yato, I'm sorry I've been away so long. But I'm so so glad to see you."

Yato bounced off the couch and ran to hug her. To her surprise, he was taller than her hips already. She pulled Yato away gently, after a moment, in order to bend down to his level. She brushed a loose strand of hair away from his round, young face. Looked into the familiar blue eyes, looking at her with the same clear love they'd shown her in his last life. How had she ever forgotten those eyes?

"Are you crying, Yori?"

"I was. I just lost someone, but it's okay because I know they're always with me, right here," she pointed to Yato's heart.

Yato looked at her for a moment, then down at her hand, and back at her. In a quiet voice, "Could I help you find them?"

Hiyori nodded her head emphatically. "Mm-hm," she said, "I think you already are, Yato."

Next chapter may be from Yato's POV?