A/N: Whew... This was an ordeal. It took me entirely too long to write thanks to my writer's block, and I apologize if it seems messy or rusty because of it. Fun fact, this was originally supposed to be comedy with the premise of Hiyori's awkward wrestling moves, but it, uh... kinda got away from me and the fluffy angst took over, heh.

I hope you enjoy!

…

The flow of time was a strange thing to Hiyori. Sometimes it felt long and dragging, like nothing else mattered other than this one instant. Others it felt as though every second was quickening her heartbeat with anxiety for moments gone by and lost. She wondered if the god who was currently lounging on her bed ever felt like that. A few years had passed since she'd met Yato, but that wasn't long at all, was it?

Sometimes Yato seemed very far away. Like she lived in her own time, and he lived in his. She supposed that was true – and so quiet moments like these, when their two times could intersect and seemed to meld, felt more precious than anything.

The clack of computer keys under her fingers filled the room. It was dark save for her paper lamp, which gave off a pale electric glow that made the small space feel cozy. She needed to finish this assignment, but her mind wouldn't focus.

Hiyori's spirit tail shifted out from behind her, the tip of it flitting lightly in agitation with her anxious thoughts. Her body had been left to sleep under the kotatsu in the living room, and Yato seemed strangely sad about having the extra space on her bed tonight.

The half-ayakashi couldn't help but glance at her companion. It wasn't unusual for him to stay in her room with her while she did homework at night, but he'd been staying progressively longer, and more often, as of late. Hiyori wondered if he missed her now that she had to set aside more time for private studying for the medical field. Yato seemed lost in thought, however when he caught her watching him he gave a smile so bright that Hiyori swore it put her nightlight to shame in illuminating the room. She smiled back, his amiable air contagious, and he eyed her as she stood from her computer chair and stretched her arms above her head.

"Done?" he asked, seemingly trying to hide his excitement.

"Yep, done." It was kind of a lie. She hadn't been able to finish, but she could always do that after he left.

Flopping down next to Yato, Hiyori blushed a little bit at the utterly contented look it brought to his face. She didn't know when he'd gained the power to unravel her so much with just the slightest mannerisms, but she'd noticed it more and more over the past year. When she was alone with Yato, the world seemed quieter, like everything had slowed down except for her own heartbeat.

"It's almost Yukine-kun's 'birthday,' again," she mused, hoping to break the silence and rein in her emotions.

"Mmhmm..." he hummed in response, "Daikoku's already got a cake reserved. I think everyone's really gotten into throwing him parties every year."

"That's good to hear. I think Yukine-kun enjoys it, too."

"Yeah, he does."

Yato shifted to face her, propping himself up on his elbow, and smiled down at her. Hiyori breathed in his scent under the guise of a deep sigh, smiling back, but acutely aware of every inch of body heat she could feel. His quiet breathing seemed amplified in her ears.

She couldn't say the words, but they were there; under her skin like a tangible whisper, and begging for her to stop ignoring them.

You're so daunting, but so warm.

I love you.

I love you.

Her heart was pounding with it, and it made her emotions feel on edge and her skin prickle with anticipation. It was empowering and frightening, all at the same time.

"Er... Earth to Hiyori?"

"Huh?" Snapping back to attention, Hiyori felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"You looked kinda dreamy, there." Yato grinned playfully, leaning his face further in to peer at her. "Thinking about something nice?"

The red on her cheeks spread to her ears, and Hiyori was sure there was no possible way that he couldn't hear her heartbeat slamming against her chest. She let out a strained squeak, before reacting on an old impulse.

"Augh!"

Yato cringed as Hiyori trapped his waist between her thighs. Curling her spine, she tugged him on top of and into her, to grip his arm and twist it back with a triumphant cry.

"Hnnnghfff...!" His voice was muffled from where his face was smooshed into the bedding, and Hiyori reveled at having all his weight on her but in such a helpless position.

'You're not the only one who can the other feel weak...' Perhaps it was a bit overly smug, but she would take it over him hearing her pounding heart.

However, she had either miscalculated a bit in her Kimura Lock or Yato was more flexible than she thought, because he wasn't in a proper hold and could move his head around fairly well. Her heart rate increased even more when his eyes met hers, and suddenly she was aware of his body weight in all the wrong ways.

Even worse, he seemed to be noticing it, too – if his colored cheeks and refusal to breathe were any indication. It was actually a relief when he broke the silence.

"Still into this stuff, huh, miss prim-and-proper doctor?" he winced good-naturedly, eyes darting around to avoid hers and the strange tension sizzling between them. "My poor body keeps hoping you'll outgrow it, someday."

Yato let out a short bark of nervous laughter, still trying to diffuse, but Hiyori suddenly felt cold. Staring at him, her grip on his body slowly went slack.

'Outgrow it... A doctor...'

It was like someone had plunged her stomach in ice, and her silence and loosening grip finally prompted Yato to move just enough to look at her. She wasn't sure what expression she currently wore, but his face looked a little stricken when he saw it.

"Are you... okay?"

"Yes," she answered, immediately. A little too fast. But inside, her mind had screeched to a halt before exploding in a flurry of activity.

'I'm already running out of time with them...'

Why hadn't she given enough thought to this, before? Why did she let herself get caught up in the complacent normalcy?

'Because you wanted to pretend that this would go on for as long as you want it to,' her mind responded. 'To pretend that nothing would change between any of you. That you didn't let your relationship with Yato get to what it is without letting either of you act on it.'

Her hand came up to his face, and Yato's gaze never wavered from hers as her fingertips traced his cheek. Then his jawline, and finally his lips.

He stared down at her with wide eyes and pink dusting his cheeks. It tightened her chest and made a sensation like fire sweep through her navel. The quickening of her heart was no longer tolerating her ignoring it, as it beat with the words again: I love you. I love you.

She shifted against him, and it was like a wave of sparks between their bodies.

One of Yato's arms came around her, gripping her shirt as if to steady himself while his other hand came up to touch her hair. He didn't run his fingers through it or brush it behind her ear – just laid his hand there, and yet it felt strangely intimate all the same. His pupils were bigger than usual as he watched her, and Hiyori wanted to be closer to him.

Leaning up, she paused just short of taking his lips in hers. "C-Can I...?" she breathed, and found herself eternally grateful that he didn't tense or pull away, or do anything that might make her lose her nerve.

Yato nodded, before leaning down to meet her half-way, and Hiyori's lungs filled with air and trembled with breathlessness, all at the same time. She was surprised that his lips didn't taste like much of anything, but they were somehow the sweetest thing she could have ever expected. He kissed her with slow, steadying affections that drew her out, and she moved with him, taking his top lip between hers and gently gripping his face to angle herself better. Her head was fuzzy with adrenalin and pleasure when they pulled back, and the swooping feeling in her lower belly intensified as she took in his slightly swollen lips and flushed face.

Yato looked affected, too, and Hiyori had never seen an expression quite like that on his face. The half-lidded stare made his blue eyes darken and seem to glow in the dim lighting. It was a look that sent her heart racing and her thoughts scattering. In that moment she felt unmistakably beloved; desired, and it didn't go away even when Yato blinked and tried to soften his face for her again.

The validation that she wasn't the only one feeling this way made her bold. Uncharacteristically daring with her emotions. She almost felt desperate.

The bed creaked lightly when Hiyori shifted to pull him back down towards her. This time Yato did look much more surprised, but he didn't fight her. Then that look on his face was back, and he whispered her name against her lips before they met in another freeing burst of heat and light. It was intense, almost frighteningly so, but Hiyori found herself craving more. She didn't want this moment to end.

It did. All too soon. But to Hiyori's delight, he gently nudged her chin up with his nose until his lips pressed against her jaw. He lingered there, his breath warming her skin and nonsensical murmurs falling from his lips as they moved down her throat. His hands cradled her head and waist to hold her still as she began squirming, trying to wriggle closer to him with a soft gasp. Those gasps got louder and more frequent the closer he got to sensitive spots, until finally her hands clenched violently in his shirt when his mouth closed over an area just above her collarbone.

"Y-Yato..." Hiyori couldn't believe the sound of her own voice; warm and smooth with desire. She never knew she could sound like that, and Yato responded to it immediately. His mouth came away, leaving saliva cooling on her skin, and he was breathing hard and fast.

He leaned in to kiss her again. She responded by licking at his top lip, which caused Yato's breath to hitch. She let his tongue brush lightly against hers, and then enter her mouth to deepen the kiss. His scent was taking her over, and when his tongue touched the roof of her mouth, Hiyori swore she actually heard herself giggle a bit in pleasure. Yato smiled a little against her lips.

Their shirts had ridden up, and it gave her a bit of a thrill to feel his stomach muscles tremble when they were pressed belly to belly. Deciding she wanted to feel more of his skin against hers, Hiyori smoothed her palms under his white shirt to bunch the fabric up out of her way. She did it gingerly, as if to keep him from noticing she was trying to feel him. But when he made a small sound in the back of his throat and brought his hand to her cheek to smooth his thumb over it, she suddenly found it harder and harder to care about her own embarrassment.

The hand at her waist slid up to touch her tummy as well, making Hiyori's breath catch in an entirely good way. Her lips were tingling and pleasantly tender as Yato showered them with tiny kisses, licks, and nips, between deeper affections. He shifted, and suddenly his other hand was on her belly as well, lighting up all her nerves into a pleasant hum.

His kisses were getting deeper; more drugging, and Hiyori felt his hands move slowly up, up, and further up. They stopped just shy of her breasts, and through the fog of anticipation, Hiyori bit her lip as she felt his fingertips graze the swell of them. She wanted him to touch her like that, and that realization was enough to give her pause. This was too fast, and too slow, all at the same time, and she suddenly didn't know how to balance what she should do and what she wanted to do.

"You shouldn't..." she whispered, but not to admonish Yato. She knew she was just trying to convince herself.

He paused anyway, and removed his hands completely to look at her.

"Do you want to stop?" His gaze bounced between her eyes uncertainly, and Hiyori was sure he was worrying over how to read her signals if she starting giving him mixed ones.

The thought of stopping made her heart speed up and her stomach clench. Questions of propriety returned to the back of her mind. She could think later. Right now she just wanted to act on her feelings for Yato.

'I don't want any regrets. I want to own this... this feeling. I want to live for these moment that we have.'

"No," she said, fingers tightening on his shoulders, before abruptly loosening again, "Don't stop."

His lips pressed against the corner of her mouth; softly, to be sure, and she couldn't help kissing his in return. Their noses nudged against each other, and Hiyori felt his breath over her face, warm and comforting. This was Yato at his sweetest. Not the stray god who was overenthusiastic and juvenile. Not the damaged boy who desperately clung to her as his only sane lifeline. Just Yato – the one who wanted so badly to give and receive love.

Hiyori's head lolled back against the pillow, eyes drifting shut as she let his scent wash over her. Yato's hand finally moved under her shirt to cup her breast, and she released a quiet sigh, arching herself further into him as he rubbed gently at her covered nipple with his fingertips.

"Is... Is that good?" he asked, seeming suddenly unsure.

"Mmhmm..."

She felt him shift, and his tongue slid against hers again with his next kiss. Hiyori shivered and then moaned softly at the sensation, combined with his palm still smoothing over her clothed breast. Yato withdrew all too soon, nibbling on her lip and then moving his kisses down across her throat. Hiyori shifted underneath him, craving more of his weight. It drove her to wrap her arms around his body and pull him to her. The insistent pressure brought him almost fully against her, and Yato seemed suddenly uncomfortable. She realized why when he raised his hips slightly to adjust his weight, and she bit her lip. She liked having that effect on him. Taking advantage of the momentary space between them, Hiyori tugged on the zipper to his tracksuit top. The sound of it made her shiver, and she swore his hands were shaking when he shrugged the garment off. His scarf quickly followed.

Hiyori ran both hands up the smooth expanse of his stomach and chest, bunching and sliding his white t-shirt out of her way as she went. She didn't hide her intentions this time, and reveled in the heat of his skin and the quivering of his muscles under her touch. Yato clumsily tugged his arms through the sleeves, and yanked it over his head. Hiyori's nerves felt jumpy and alight, and she kissed him when he moaned at her touch on his bare chest.

His lower body pushed into hers, his movements becoming more driven by arousal, and Hiyori could feel his excitement pressed up against her thigh. Her breath hitched and she murmured a few incoherent sounds that may have been his name against his lips before he pulled away just enough to lift her shirt off of her. Then with one last parting kiss to her cheek, his head was tucked under her chin and moving down, and Hiyori sighed happily when she felt the wet pressure of his lips between her breasts.

She almost wanted to be apprehensive when his trembling hands came up to fumble awkwardly with the clasp of her bra. But all she felt was an excited impatience until it eventually came loose. She almost expected Yato to immediately push the garment aside, but he seemed a little shy now that he had the opportunity to do so, and merely continued those lingering, heady kisses around the areas he could reach.

After a moment, his hands finally moved the straps of her bra off of her shoulders, thumbs rubbing over the shallow grooves left on her skin from where the elastic had pulled. Hiyori saw his throat working convulsively before he slowly pushed the bra to the side. He looked like he was judging her reaction the entire time, and Hiyori briefly wondered if he was worried she was going to suddenly hit him now that clothes were being removed.

Instead, she touched his hands, which seemed to reassure him enough. Yato sighed happily and brought his hands back up to caress her skin. Hiyori could only murmur out a soft compliance as his tongue traced a path from her collarbone down to stroke between her breasts. She held her breath; biting her lip in anticipation and pressing her fingers into his hair.

A staggering gasp escaped her throat when that velvet-rough tongue brushed over a nipple. Yato dragged moist kisses around the point of her breast, and Hiyori couldn't stop her fingers from gripping at his hair. She arched her spine, letting her head fall further into the pillow, and all she wanted was to cling to him. To wrap herself around him and make sure he never stopped doing what he was doing to her right now.

Yato's hand trailed down her torso, setting off a thousand little fireworks in its wake, and she tried desperately not to squirm when it swept over her inner thigh. Her skin erupted in goosebumps when his fingers skimmed the hem of her pants.

Wordlessly, Hiyori lifted her hips up, her every nerve attuned to him.

He didn't need to be asked twice, and soon her legs were bare and only her underwear remained between them. Her breathing sped up. When his fingers hooked under the fabric and pulled it down, she swore her heart missed several beats, and the anticipation drew a soft mewl from her throat.

Yato's mouth left her breasts at the sound, and his lips were darkened from kissing her so much. His eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched her, and Hiyori felt more heat pool between her legs. The cool night air was at odds with her now naked body and left her shivering, sweaty and lightheaded with desire. Yato moved further off of her, and she moved to pull him back.

The sight of his swollen lips taking his index finger in to the knuckle stopped her. She watched, transfixed, as his tongue swept over the pad of his finger. Then his hand was gone from her vision as Yato reached down between them.

He touched her bare flesh and Hiyori let out a sound that was strained and soft, all at the same time. His finger was very gentle and so perfect as he dragged it around her clit, trying to find what she liked best.

He found a rhythm circling it that had her nearly coming undone, gasping out his name in needy huffs. "Uhn... Yato..."

"Like that?"

"Haaah..."

His lips moved in to graze hers as he spoke, still moving his finger in those amazing, tender motions. "Hiyori..."

He was trying to get an answer from her, she knew, but his caresses were derailing her thoughts. Finally she managed, afraid he would stop if she didn't. "U-... Uh-huh..."

It wasn't eloquent, but seemed to satisfy him, and he answered her with a chaste kiss. Pulling back, he brought his middle finger up to his mouth to coat that in saliva as well, before moving them back between her thighs. She moaned very softly and relaxed her trembling legs as he touched her. Small circles... Around her clit once, twice – rubbing her up and down – again and again.

She felt him shift off of her and blinked, disoriented for a moment at the loss of sensation. Then goosebumps tingled across her arms the instant she felt his breath between her legs. "Can I...?" he whispered.

Hiyori swallowed thickly, her mouth suddenly very dry with anticipation. Her answer came out ragged and low, and she barely recognized her own voice, so raw with desire as she asked such bold things of him.

"Yes... Yato..."

At her affirmation, he continued, bringing his mouth forward to trace a circle around her clit with his tongue.

Her legs spasmed in ecstasy. Her breathing hitched and Hiyori bit her lip to stifle the raucous moan that threatened to break free. Self-consciousness held her back from losing control of her noise. Yato scooted even closer and his tongue overwhelmed her again when it dragged over her slit.

"Yato...!" Hiyori could barely hear the harsh whisper over her heartbeat in her ears. It throbbed in her clit, too, and left every part of her he wasn't touching feeling cold. Everything was perfect and yet torturous. She wanted more.

Reacting to her sounds, Yato exhaled harshly against her, pressing his lips to her clit in a desperate kiss. He ran his tongue over the slick opening again, before shifting, moving his lips to feather kisses against her inner thighs. She couldn't take it. It felt so good. The infrequent stimulation left her cringing with desire. He was driving her crazy, and she couldn't decide what to do about it as he kept up his alternation between dragging his lips over her skin and lapping at her.

Her hips lifted, hands fisting in the sheets at either side of her head, and she felt Yato lightly push at her hips until she lowered them again, to keep her from squirming. It had the desired effect though, and Hiyori couldn't stop the breathy whimper that staggered out of her throat when he slid his tongue inside her. Her tail came up to wrap itself around the back of his head, holding him to her. Trembling. Desperate. Don't stop. And then her feet were smoothing down his bare back, toes curling against his spine with every movement of his tongue.

Yato moaned against her; the vibrations like a hum of fire, and all at once she couldn't take it anymore. She trembled for a few moments longer before the dull scratch of her fingers clawing at the sheets invaded her ears, followed by a harsh gasp that heaved its way through her lips. Her toes flexed restlessly against his back, and she knew he felt it when her body stilled in tense ecstasy. She clicked her mouth shut against the gasps to hold her breath as the sensations continued to sweep through her.

Yato gave her a few last, lazy licks, hoping to prolong her euphoria. He only stopped when she finally writhed away from him, too sensitive to take any more. Hiyori stared at the ceiling with glossy eyes, not registering much past the dull static pumping through her veins. Slowly it died down, and she saw blue invade her vision. She held Yato's intense gaze with surprising ease. She felt free. Like she and Yato had created a bubble of time where her emotions and body were truly hers in a way she had never felt before. Hiyori wondered if he could feel it, too. She wanted him to.

He looked a bit confused when she pushed on his shoulder, but eventually complied and climbed off of her. Hiyori followed and pressed him into the mattress with her body.

"Lift up your hips," she whispered. He did, and one of her hands moved down to pull down the waistline of his pants and boxers. Yato's hand jerked before reaching up to twine his fingers with those of her free one.

Her fingertips brushed against his erection and he squeezed her hand with a hitch of breath. Taking this as a good sign, Hiyori gripped him carefully, and his head arched back into the pillows with a low moan. She kissed him as her hand began moving in a slow rhythm, and his breathing quickly became ragged against her. She pulled away to let him catch his breath.

"Is this... Is this good?"

His hand squeezed hers again, from where their fingers were locked, before answering. "Y-Yeah..."

There was a ticking vein on the side of his length, and she wondered if that was how fast his pulse was racing. His skin felt warm and smooth under her palm as she stroked him up and down. Hiyori gently rubbed her thumb over the weeping head, and Yato let out a low, pleasure-ridden hiss.

He kissed her this time, their breath shuddering in and out, equally unsteady as their hearts thumped against each other. Hiyori swallowed up his muffled groans with excited passion, before softly biting his lip. The sound he released was guttural and unchecked, and he bucked into her hand before quickly gripping her wrist to stop her.

"S-Sorry," he said when she gave him a slightly bewildered look. He threaded his fingers with hers in that hand as well, in apology. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want... You know... If you're all right with it, I'd rather... Um..."

Hiyori wanted to blush and laugh, all at the same time. But she knew that might make one of them lose their nerve, and so she merely answered him truthfully.

"I'm all right with it. I want to."

The look he gave her was surprised and a little vulnerable, but happy. Without another word, he scooted out from under her and sat up. Hiyori watched as he settled himself against the pillows and her headboard for support, before opening his arms to beckon her forward.

Yato swallowed thickly as she crawled into his lap, though Hiyori could tell he tried to hide it. She lined her face up with his as she circled her legs around his hips and crossed her ankles behind him. The kiss she gave him was quick but deep, and meant as reassurance.

"Okay?" she asked.

"Okay."

Hiyori reached down between then, taking careful hold of him. He roughly pressed his forehead against hers when she took a moment to lovingly rub her thumb over the tip, before she guided him in. She was wet from his earlier attentions, and he slipped partially into her with ease. Hiyori's breath hitched as her legs spread a bit more to accommodate the upwards push, squeezing her eyes shut to focus on relaxing. Yato paused without fully entering her, seeming to wait for any protest. She didn't give it.

Seeming braver, he wound an arm around her waist to hold her gently in place while he began rocking his hips slowly against her – not quite thrusting, and still not fully inside. The friction caused his breath to stagger, and the sound of it made her eager and lightheaded. Made her crave more of that strange sensation between her legs. It didn't seem to matter that it was a little uncomfortable, his sounds made her skin feel tight with heat. His alluring scent carried a new layer to it that prompted her to press against him, small sounds of pleasure starting to escape her as the discomfort began to fade.

Yato held her close – a little too tight under normal circumstances, but right now she couldn't be close enough to him. She could hear him bite back a groan.

"Yato..." she moaned, squirming a bit when his hips rolled into her, again.

The sound caused his movements to stutter, and suddenly Hiyori felt his hips fully against hers as he was buried all the way inside her.

"S-Sorry!" he stammered out, breathless but obviously fretting. "Did that hurt?"

It really didn't, but it was proving difficult to focus enough on breathing to tell him that. Afraid that he would pull away if she didn't reassure him soon, Hiyori settled for rubbing soothing circles over his back until the words came.

"No, it didn't hurt. You can move."

Yato hesitated for a moment, before gently, gently pulling out, almost all the way. Then just as slowly, he pushed himself all the way back in. Hiyori moaned at the slick friction, and she could feel his mouth against her ear, lips parted to release heavy, uneven breaths.

Yato thrust again, a little less slow this time, and traced the curve of her cheek with his nose. Then he pressed his forehead against hers again, one hand moving to grip at her hip, and she leaned further in, drawn to him like gravity.

"Hiyori..." he groaned between kisses, starting to move against her with far more hunger.

His eyes were glossy and his face was as flushed as hers felt, and it only heightened her arousal. She wanted – no, needed him to keep going. To move more. Touch her more. She didn't know if she could handle him stopping, anymore. She wanted to make him sigh. To make him moan. She didn't want to just let him come, she wanted to be the reasonhe came. She wanted to feel everything she could with him, and know that her feelings for him were real.

She threaded his hair through her fingers, keeping him from pulling too far away from her. Her desperate kisses were softened by his slower ones. He touched her cheek, her neck; drawing out tenderness despite the heated movements of their hips. It wasn't long before she could only kiss him in short interludes, her gasps of pleasure breaking them apart.

He didn't give any indication of diverting his contact with her lips, though. His mouth alternated between lush brushes to soft bites, and Hiyori swore she could float away in happiness if his hugs weren't blissfully anchoring her to their little world on that bed.

Yato's hands roamed her back, leaving her skin quivering happily under his fingertips as he pulled her closer. She mewled, pressed her chest firmly against his, and heard him moan in avid desire. His hands came to her hips. She practically whined when he stopped meeting her rocking motions with his own. Her eyes opened from their kissing to see what he was doing, just before they almost rolled back as he suddenly pulled out and thrust back in with a quick motion.

Hiyori was truly seeing stars; the length of him burning electricity through her as he created friction everywhere she needed it. The scent and feel of him was her whole world. His hands squeezed spasmodically against her hips, and the musky smell of his arousal lingered in her nose with every ragged breath she took. All thought scattered when his breathing hitched and she felt him hike her up and closer against him.

Her tail swept forward to twine itself excitedly around his arm, and Yato reached up a hand to gently clutch at the back of her head as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. The harsh breath there was affecting her, and the fog of static burned at her body. His heart pounded against hers. The friction where they were joined overwhelmed her senses.

"Oh Yato, I-..." she moaned unintelligibly, suddenly arching against him forcefully and biting his shoulder in ecstasy. The pressure of her teeth made him quickly reach down between them to touch her again, and suddenly everything became perfect.

Yato shuddered hard, going still with a low cry of her name, and Hiyori let out her own shrill gasp of euphoria as a different heat flooded her belly. Her arms clutched at him. Her toes curled so hard that the tendons ached. For a few seconds all she knew was her own panting, Yato's panting, his hands pulling her close; fingers gripping. Her slit burned and tingled mind-numbingly from the sensations leaving her in a rush. Then she went boneless above him, and she didn't know if she'd ever be able to move, again.

Yato was the one who pulled back first. His clinging grip loosened as he kissed her cheek, breath still a bit ragged. His blue eyes met hers before he was leaning in to press more kisses to her face. "I love you..." he whispered, pushing his face into the crook of her neck to let his lips linger there, longer. "I love you, Hiyori."

Her eyes fixated on what she could easily see of his shoulder for a long moment. She wasn't sure if she'd already fully connected how deep his feelings for her went or not, but something about him saying it out loud felt so natural. The silence prompted him to put reluctant space between them again. He was looking at her quietly now, and she knew he was trying not to give away the fact that he was desperate for reciprocation. Hiyori lifted her eyes to meet his.

"I said I wanted to be with you, Yato," she said softly, "... and I meant it. I will always mean it." She pressed herself further into his body, bringing her arms around him and resting her forehead against his. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't love you."

Her heart skipped when she heard the small sound he made; relieved and happy, and she knew how much those words meant for him to hear. His eyes were brightening with a film of moisture and she could see him nibbling at his bottom lip to keep it still. This really did mean the world to him.

Yato suddenly let out a wet laugh and pulled Hiyori in tight against him, and she felt one of his hands in her hair again. "You know, normally people get the 'I love you's out in the open before they consummate said love."

She tensed a little as his usual bluntness returned. "Don't make it sound so weird! Besides, you can't tell me you're bothered when you've never done anything normally!"

Her mouth clicked shut against the tirade when the god pulled back to look at her again, eyes sparkling.

"Of course I'm not bothered, and there could never be anything weird about us."

The prickle of ire Hiyori had felt melted away, instantly. "You're really sweet when you want to be, you know that?"

His expression twisted into such an exaggerated pout that she would have thought he was faking it if she didn't know him like she did. "I'm always sweet and giving! As befitting your God of Fortune," he huffed.

Hiyori laughed good-naturedly, relaxing again into the easy intimacy between them. Yato's face lit up at the sound, and his fingers entwined with hers as he leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips.

"Love you, Hiyori..."

"I love you, too, Yato."

'Please just let this last forever...'

…

A/N: I'm not saying we need more smut spawned from Hiyori's totally-not-awkward wrasslin' moves... But we absolutely do. But all jokes aside, this fic really ended up as something different than intended, and I am actually very happy with the result. I hope you enjoyed it, too!

Thank you for reading!