Yato x Reader

Chapter 1

A slight breeze rustled the leaves overhead. It was a bright spring morning, the sun smiling gently down on the world. Its warmth enveloped the bike trail, along with the people who walked there. Despite the early hour, they were already up and running. The patter of feet on the hard gravel blended with the birdsong in the trees. The trail is beautiful this time of year, the cherry trees full of soft pink flowers, and the grass billowing in the wind. No one said a word, they just continued on their jog or sprinted to a job they were hopelessly late for.

"_______, wait up!" a voice shouted behind me. I turn around to see my best friend running towards me. Her ebony hair was pulled up into a long braid, swishing from side to side as she advanced. The neon pink shorts she always wore were paired with a short black tank top. A mischievous grin on her face shone through her innocent demeanor. Her beautiful lavender eyes held a bursting amount of joy. "How about a race?" she says, her crooked smile spreading. She's never beaten me at a race, but short sprints are her specialty. "I don't know, do you think you can beat me Hiyori?" I taunt. "Just you watch."

Without another world, she dashes past me, her hair whipping behind her. I follow close behind, the wind beating against my face, and gravel flying at all angles. I could feel my face heat as I continue to sprint at full speed. Hiyori will eventually run out of steam. Listening to my favorite song, f/s, I do a little dance. "Hey, if you keep dancing you aren't going to win!" said an amused voice. I look up to see Hiyori's blushing face; she was obviously struggling to hold back her laughter. I smile and easily stride in front of her. I here a huff behind me as she tries to keep up, but I'm already far ahead. The trail is so familiar I could run it with my eyes closed. I slow down again to take in the morning air.

As I look back to check my friend's progress, a blurry figure whizzes past me. Laughter then erupts up ahead. "We're already here, _______." she says, her smile widening. "I can't believe it but I actually beat you! Your guard must have been down." "Oh shut it, I'll get you next time!" I call over my shoulder. A small laugh escapes my lips, despite my efforts to conceal it. I fumble with my keys until I finally grab hold of the right one. With a slight push, the door unlocked and slowly creaked open. I flipped on the few lights in my apartment and opened my only window for some air. Though my apartment's very small, it's spotless. Not a single book is out of place, every dirty dish in the polished chrome sink. I walk over to the kitchen, though the only food groups stored there are ramen and ice cream. I look back to see my friend settling down on the couch, her labored breaths stabilizing. Most of the living room is a creamy white, with pictures of me and Hiyori on the center table.

We've been through everything together. Ever since I met her, alone on the playground in kindergarten, she has been nothing but kind. We would always study together, and our parents are now on a first name basis. My parents trusted her, so I could walk to her house alone. We would hang out every chance we got, and I never left her side. However, one day in our sophomore year of high school, she became very distant. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else every time I talked to her, and she said she was busy whenever I asked if she could hang out. A few weeks later I tried asking about it, but she blew me off. It was obvious she was going through something painful, so I left her alone. I never figured out what was wrong until senior year.

While I was waiting for my ride home after school, she came up to me and apologized. She felt bad for ignoring me and asked if we could talk after homework. I reluctantly accepted, still hurt from the time we spent apart. After hours of waiting, she finally called. I could hear the elation before I even opened my phone. She immediately made me promise to not tell anyone about the secret she had. I rolled my eyes and told her I wouldn't tell anyone.

With excitement in her voice she then began to tell me that her soul could slip out of her body, like a ghost. When she did leave her body behind, her soul looked exactly like her, but with a beautiful purple tail, like a cat. I had a hard time believing her, and my skepticism showed in my voice. However, she showed me the next day. Her body crumpled on the floor, and she just walked away from it, completely unconcerned. Even though her soul left during class occasionally, she still graduated with flying colors.

Unlike my responsible best friend, I was always a handful. My homework would sit in my backpack until someone told me to do it. I passed my classes, but just barely. I was always passionate about animals, specifically cats, so I volunteered at a local animal shelter for a year or two. However, I quit after a while because I had to focus on school. I always found peace in running, so I signed up for the track team. I stayed there for the two years remaining of high school. I never won any awards, but I was agile in practice. No one ever bothered to talk to me unless I was with Hiyori, and I graduated high school with grades that barely scraped by. I now live in an apartment paid for by my parents, because they wanted me out of the house before 25.

"Hey _______, are you going to get us some water?" Hiyori called. I snap back to reality, and find myself staring at the refrigerator in front of me. I shake my head and fill two glasses. As I walk back to the f/c couch, I see the grin on Hiyori's face. "What were you thinking about?" she teased. "Nothing, just about how slow you used to be." I smirked. "Hey! I beat you this time, so you can't tease me about my speed for a while!" she pouted. "Anyway, I really wanted to talk to you about something." Her voice lost its playful edge. "Oh? What's up?" I say, leaning back on the feathery cushions of my couch. "Since your family has been bugging you to get a job, I was wondering if you have any interviews?" Her voice was tinted with concern. "No...for some reason I can't seem to make a good impression." I say ruefully. On every interview, I either say the wrong thing, or I'm terribly late. I need to turn up the volume on my alarm.

"I thought so. Well, I know a certain person that's in the same situation as you." Another unemployed teen with nagging parents?  I get excited just thinking about it. Now I'll be able to share my frustrations with someone other than Hiyori! "That sounds awesome! Is it anyone I know?" I ask. "No, but he's a nice guy. Despite coming on a bit strong..." she drifts off, her brow furrowing. Suddenly I hear an insistent meow from my room. "Milord! Come here honey!" I croon. A small kitten crawls out of my room, arching his back for a long stretch. The little pom pom at the very end of his tail swishes as he trots towards me. I pick him up, stroking his soft fur. He starts to purr, a low rumble against my chest. I close my eyes, the warmth of the kitten engulfing me. "Hey, focus!" I hear from the other end of the couch. I look over to see Hiyori's annoyed expression through the pillows. "I feel like you guys could talk about unemployment and maybe form a plan to get you both hired. Two heads are better than one." she says. I ponder for a minute, but ultimately decide that the sooner I see this guy, the better. "Alright, how about tomorrow? I want to pay for this apartment with my own money." I huff. "Great! I'll make sure to tell him." she beams. As she pulls out her phone, I swear I see a twinkle in her eye.