Rant ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 17: Lantern

"Nice to meet you, Yato," Hiyori smiles.

He doesn't respond, catching my attention. I glimpse up, a sense of concern washing over me. He is standing next to me, his body tense as he stares wide-eyed at the girl before us. His features are pale, and his mouth is slightly opened. So many emotions drift at the surface of his brilliant stare. So many emotions that sport a sense of...pain.

Hiyori must notice his odd behavior because she leans toward me, whispering, "Um, Y/N...is your date okay?"

I shoot her a phony smile before turning to Yato, asking, "Yato...hun, are you okay?"

It feels so cheesy and corny to call him hun. It feels cheesy and corny to call anyone that, but especially him. But despite my feelings toward the choice of words, I know I need to fake it for Hiyori.

"Yato," I repeat, resting my hand on his shoulder. "Yato, are you okay?"

This seems to snap him out of his trance, causing him to bring his gaze to me. His alluring stare strikes me, nearly pinning me to where I stand as those emotions continue to swirl and float at the surface. His breathing is slightly uneven and hoarse, the concern bubbling within me. He looks panicked and scared, only scaring me. I don't know what to do or how to comfort him.

I open my mouth to say something when he cuffs his hand over mine, a sweet smile bowing his lips as he says, "Sorry, my love. My thoughts slipped for a moment."

My cheeks burned as I stammered, "O-oh. T-to what, babe?"

"I thought I left my stove on," he beams, though I can tell it's a lie.

It feels so cringy to be behaving and talking this way. It makes me want to either burst out laughing or pull my hand away. However, I keep my composure when he turns to Hiyori and Hiroki.

"Sorry about that," he apologizes to the couple, gently lowering my hand, which remains encased by his. "It's nice to meet you both."

The pair smile and we all begin to make our way through the festival, all the while Yato keeps a tight grip on my hand, which is not what I expected. It's strange, really. Him holding my hand, that is. His hold is warm and firm, his skin soft and smooth against mine. It's weird. I almost expected his palms to be sweaty, but they're not. It's strange...but I like it.

We all just go from booth to booth, all chatting and talking as we get to know each other. Well, for the most part. As Hiyori, Hiroki, and I all happily converse, Yato only occasionally interjects, always faking a smile. Always faking a small sense of happiness, which continues to pull at me. Even though I've only begun to see more of him, I can't help but still feel a sense of wanting to help him. So, I give a gentle squeeze of reassurance, which his mirrors back.

After about an hour of drifting through the festival, we all find our way to the beach, where Hiroki breaks off to do whatever he needs to do. The water sways back and forth, the waves crashing against the shore as the festival-goers chatter gleefully in the background. The lights cast by the lanterns break through the darkness, all shimmering like golden jewels. It's so breathtaking and beautiful, which pulls my attention away from the date. Well, for a moment.

"Y/N," Hiyori smiles, "have you ever released a lantern before?"

I bring my stare to hers, shaking my head. "No. Are we going to do that?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nods happily. "Hiroki went to get us a few lanterns." She turns her focus to Yato. "What about you, Yato? Have you ever released a lantern?"

I turn to him, watching as he slightly perks up before clearing his throat. "Y-yeah."

"Good! You can show Y/N how to do it," she chirps.

A twinge pulls at me as I gaze at Yato. He looks so broken and hurt for some reason. It's almost frustrating. I wish I could dig my way into his mind and see what's going through it. Whatever it is, it has to be something deep-rooted.

He nods just as Hiroki approaches with two large lanterns in tow, announcing, "Sorry about that. There's a line." He passes one of the lanterns to Yato. "Here you two go. I figured we'd have two couples' lanterns."

Yato takes it, staring at it. The light reflects and bends in his eyes, only amplifying the raw emotions in them. Though, neither Hiyori nor Hiroki seems to notice as they just hold onto their lantern together.

I move to Yato, holding the lantern with him, whispering, "Yato...you don't need to do this if you –"

He turns, holding the lantern with me as he breathes, "You made a wish and I don't go back on wishes."

That pain still masks him, though he refuses to meet my gaze. His eyes are averted down, the light and shadows fighting against one another to claim his face. My breath abruptly hitches. I can't believe I never noticed this before. At this moment, as the cool gale runs her fingers through his hair, I see it. I see just how incredibly...handsome he is.

I shake my head, trying to push that thought from my mind. Nope. Nope, we ain't thinkin' about that. I tell myself before glimpsing back up at him. He is still staring at the ground as if it's interesting. Of course, that emotion of pain still floats in his eyes.

"It's almost time!" Hiyori cheers, holding up the lantern with Hiroki. "Get ready!"

Both Yato and I extend our arms up, the people around us all doing the same with their own lanterns. Everyone begins to countdown in unison before releasing all our lanterns. They drift and float upward, their brilliant hues all breaking through the darkness as they swirl and dance together in their ascend.

We all watch and gawk at their beauty. Hiyori and Hiroki beam at them, strangers gasp with amazement, and I gush, turning to Yato. To my surprise, he's not looking up at the sky as the rest of us. His gaze is looked on Hiyori, who is happily wrapped in Hiroki's arms. He is staring at her.

**Bello lovelies! So, it seems there's some stuff going on with Yato after seeing Hiyori. Any idea what's going on there? Seems there's somethin' bugging him. I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out! As always, thank you so super duper much for everything! Y'all are awesome sauce! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross