Hope ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 4: The Heart Cries

I stare at the small coin in my hand, watching as the artificial light of my lamp glides across it. It shimmers and glimmers in the dull hues, the metal running smoothly against my fingertips. It's not much. It's only five yen, but what it can manifest is priceless. At least, to me it is.

All I have to do is say it.

Just say his name and toss this coin up. That's all I have to do. After that, he'll appear, and I can apologize, and we can be friends again. That's all I need to do. Or so, that's what I keep telling myself. In the end, I can throw this five yen up and scream my wish for him to appear, but it'd be up to him whether or not he wants to appear. Even after that, it'd be up to him on whether he forgives me or not. After all, I am the one that ghosted him for no reason.

I ghosted him. I ghosted the god Yato. And now I feel horrible because of it. All he was doing was trying to help me learn about my origins and where I came from. Granted, I didn't ask for him to do that, I still appreciate why he did it. It just took some digestion after what he told me for me to come to the conclusion. And of course, I came to this conclusion after pushing him away.

So, what if what he told me was...unexpected? Regardless of what it was, he's the only person who would have any idea of how to deal with this. The only person I can talk to about this. But now...after pulling my little stunt, I doubt he'll be in my corner. After all, avoiding him as I did was a pretty shitty thing for me to do.

Still, I need to try.

I sit up, pressing the coin to my lips as I whisper, "I wish for the god Yato to appear."

Silence consumes me as I glance around. Nothing but the shadows surround me. Nothing but the eerie quietude envelopes me. All is calm...too calm...too quiet...too uncanny.

"Okay," I murmur. "Let's try this again." I hold the coin between my fingers and stare at it, saying confidently, "I wish for the god Yato to appear."

Still nothing. Still silence. Still just the vast emptiness. That's all.

So, I inhale, squeezing my eyes shut as I continue, "I wish for the god -"

"I heard ya, I heard ya. Geez," a familiar voice abruptly says, causing me to glance at the source.

An annoyed appearing Yato stands in the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the doorjamb as he crosses his arms firmly over his chest. A sense of elation begins to wash over me, the exhilaration bouncing from cell to cell. He's here. He actually came and I am so happy, but a closer look at his expression causes my soul to drop. His brow is furrowed, his features masked by irritation.

"Guessin' someone wants to talk now?" he asks, his tone dripping with venom.

I sink in my seat, fidgeting with my fingers. "I-I was hoping to...i-if you want to, that is."

He lifts a brow. "Oh, yeah? What if I don't wanna?"

"I mean," I shrug, "I'd be disappointed, but I'd understand."

"Would you now?" he continues.

I'm not surprised that he's upset. He has every right to be. What I did...it had to be confusing...and, as much as I don't want to admit it, hurtful. I mean, it was me who forced this...friendship on him and then I just went M.I.A. when things got rough. What friend does that? I'll say what kind of friends do that. Crappy ones.

Feeling defeated, I exhale, "Yeah, I would. I shouldn't have done that to you. To you or Yukine, really. There's no excuse for my behavior. I'm so sorry, Yato."

He continues to observe me, his stare remaining sharp when he sighs, "It's okay. We kinda figured you'd need some space after...all that."

I lift a brow. "You did? Then what was all that for?"

He shrugs nonchalantly, "Eh, just thought I'd give you a hard time."

What? He's...he's not mad? I think. He's just fuckin' with me? I observe him, watching as his famous goofy grin bows his lips, the small chuckles radiating from him. All traces of the scowl once present on his face has completely disappeared, nowhere to be seen. And seeing this, now it's my turn to sport the sour expression.

I furrow my brows into a hard crease, growling, "Really? After all I just went through you thought that was a good idea? Really?"

My sharp words must catch his attention because he perks up, his eyes growing wide upon seeing me. He holds his hands up defensively, nervously laughing, "H-hey, Y/N. C-chill -i-it was j-just a joke."

"Just a joke?" I repeat quizzically, planting my hands on my hips. "Does it look like I'm up for jokes?"

Panic consumes his features. "Well, I thought...maybe...umm..."

I pull the corners of my lips up into a smirk. "Ha. Gotcha. Not so fun, huh?"

He stops trembling beneath my glare and sits up. His posture becomes relaxed as he knit his brows in confusion. I must have got him good if he was that nervous. Then again, he got me good too. I guess we're both very convincing in our acts.

"Hold on. That was an act?" he questions.

I snicker, "Yup."

His mouth drops open. "I thought you were really pissed at me!"

"Well, payback's a bitch!" I laugh.

Comical. It's all so funny...too funny. When was the last time I laughed this hard? Scratch that. When was the last time I laughed in general? It couldn't have been recently because my stomach and cheeks don't hurt from it. And why can't I stop? It was funny, but not this funny. I really can't stop.

"I get it, I get it," he grumbles. "Payback. Har, har. It's hilarious. Enough with the cackling already."

His vivid stare bores into me, but I still can't stop. Fight I may, I keep laughing...harder and harder. It hurts. It hurts my cheeks...it hurts my stomach...it hurts my chest. But I still can't stop.

Slight concern meets his expression. "Okay, for real. Knock it off. You're freakin' me out."

With what little strength I have, I manage to gasp, "I-I c-can't."

That's when it hits me. An overwhelming wave of abrupt emotions crashes over me, causing a twinge to pull at my chest. Even though I'm still laughing like a lunatic, a deep sadness begins to take root in my heart. A sadness I have been fighting ever since I last spoke with Kaito.

"I-I c-can't," I repeat, feeling the tears well in my eyes. "I...I can't stop." The laughter fades, being replaced by sobs. "I can't stop."

At this, I begin to sob uncontrollably. I lower my face into my hands, hoping to hide away from him in fear of his reaction. It may seem ridiculous...to be crying at a time like this, but I just can't stop. Not now. Not after accidentally letting my walls fall. And that frustrates me. It frustrates me because I was hoping he wouldn't have to see me like this again. Silly me for getting my hopes up.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Yato," I stutter between cries. "I -"

I feel the cushion next to me shift as a foreign weight sits on it. At first, I'm confused when Yato wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. Honestly, it's strange, but I melt into his hold. I melt into his arms, inhaling him with each sob, all the while he strokes my back.

"Don't worry about it," he sighs. "Just let it out -just let it all out. I'm right here. I'm right here." He pauses for a moment and under his breath adds, "I'm not going anywhere."

**Ello my awesome lovelies! So, what'd y'all think of that little encounter? Kinda...cute...ish, right? I mean, even with Y/N crying it's still a small touching moment. I'm so sorry...I was tired when typing this lol. Anyway, thank you so much for everything! Y'all are da bestest! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross