Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kazuma took a deep breath and pushed down the nerves roiling in his stomach. If the look on Bishamon’s face was any indication she could feel his unease. Everything’s going to be fine , he told himself. Tonight was the night he’d resolved to tell her about his relationship with Yato, and though he’d obtained a promise from Bishamon that she wouldn’t kill Yato tonight, he couldn’t shake the dread that the information about his affair might change things. 

As an image of her releasing him after finding out the truth forced its way into his mind Viina groaned and leaned forward onto her hand. 

“Kazuma...are you… alright?” 

He cursed himself. The one thing he’d promised himself when he and Yato had started this relationship centuries ago was that he’d never allow it to negatively affect Bishamon. She had to be his first priority, and Yato had always understood. But he’d allowed his emotions to overcome him and now his goddess was in pain. 

“Forgive me, Viina,” he said, trying to rein in his emotions with a few long, slow, breaths. “I’m worried that you might kill Yato tonight.” 

She cast him an annoyed look. “I told you I wouldn’t.” She winced as another wave of his anxiety hit her. 

“I know, but,” Kazuma hesitated, then knelt in front of the couch where she was sitting. He had meant to wait until they were at Kofuku’s, with Yato there and the other’s as a buffer, but he feared he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions until he had confessed his last sin. “There’s something you don’t know.” 

“What?” She asked with mixed frustration and concern, taking in the look on his face.  She turned towards him, “Kazuma what’s wrong?” 

“I- Yato and I- we’re...close,” he said, fumbling at the last second. 

“How close exactly?”

Kazuma opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “Promise you won’t be mad.”

Bishamon looked carefully at Kazuma when he opened Kofuku’s gate for her. His emotions were much calmer now, after her assurances that she wouldn’t murder his boyfriend. 

Boyfriend . 

She could still scarcely believe it, all this time he’d been sleeping with the enemy and she’d never known. Even as she looked at him now he was looking past her towards the open door of Kofuku’s house, where Yato was visible amongst his friends, fussing with Hiyori over something. There was definite affection on Kazuma’s face and despite the nervous fidgeting of his fingers, his shoulders were much more relaxed. 

“Let’s go then,” she said, bringing his attention back to her. He gulped, then nodded, exhaling another deep breath. 

“Hey, guys!” Kazuma greeted, lifting a hand as they stepped into the yard.

“Hey!” the others replied. 

There was a definite tension in the air as she and Kazuma stepped up into the house. Everyone was looking at her, except for Yato, who was giving Kazuma a questioning look. She looked at him in time to see his small nod and half wince before the room let out a collective breath of relief. After a beat of hesitation, Kazuma took the seat beside Yato that had been conspicuously left available. 

“Was she mad?” Yato whispered. 

“She was a little mad.” 

“I’m not mad!” Bishamon protested, sitting down across from them. They were still holding themselves carefully apart, several inches of space in between them, like they were worried touching each other might set her off. 

“She seems a little mad,” Kofuku whispered. Hiyori nodded in agreement. 

“I’m not mad,” she repeated. 

Kazuma and Yato exchanged a meaningful look which, admittedly, did piss her off a little. 

“I just wish you had told me a little sooner than ten minutes before we had to leave to be here .” 

“So waiting until we were actually here was a bad plan,” Kazuma said. Bishamon gaped at him. 

“I told you,” Yato said quietly. Kazuma shot him an annoyed look but didn’t say anything. 

“We just thought it might be easier to hear if everyone was here together so we could avoid misunderstandings,” Hiyori said gently. 

“You mean you wanted a buffer in case I tried to kill him,” Bishamon replied. There was a very tense silence that Yukine broke bluntly. 

“Can you blame us?” 

She opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated. “No, I guess I can’t.” The tension in the room eased, then was broken by the oven alarm going off. 

“Oh, I’ll get it,” Daikoku said. “Foods ready, Yato can you get the rice balls you made?” 

“Yeah!” Yato got to his feet to follow Daikoku into the kitchen.

Kazuma’s face lit up and he called after Yato, “Oh, Yato did you-”

“Yes, you rat bastard,” Yato scowled, stalking into the kitchen without elaborating what he’d done to the assembled group, all clueless except for Kazuma, who was laughing. 

“What? What did he do?” Hiyori asked, looking between the door where Yato had disappeared and Kazuma. 

“It’s this thing he does with rice balls,” Kazuma said dismissively. 

“Why was he so mad, then?” Yukine asked.

“Oh he hates it, he only does it for me,” Kazuma said, trying and failing to hide his fond smile. He glanced up at Bishamon and then looked back down when he saw she was fixing him with a curious gaze. 

“Yeah, so don’t you two go getting any ideas,” Yato said, re-entering the room carrying a plate of rice balls, closely followed by Daikoku. “I’m not doing any special rice balls for you.”

“I’m pretty sure you would if I asked sweetly enough,” Hiyori said dismissively. 

“Face it, you’re a big softie,” Yukine said, snickering at the look Yato gave him. 

“You’re absolutely right, he would,” Kazuma said. 

“All of you shut up,” Yato growled, setting the plate down. He smacked Bishamon’s hand away when she reached for the plate. “That one is the bastard.” 

Kazuma shot Bishamon an apologetic look and held out his plate for Yato to place his two personalized rice balls on. He held them up to his face and grinned, laughing at the little seaweed frowny faces. 

“What’s so special about them?” Yukine asked. 

“They’re little Yatos!” Kazuma said, gleefully turning the riceballs to face the others. “He made me these once when he was mad at me and he was making the exact same face it was amazing. I haven’t let him make me normal rice balls since.” 

“Oh my god , they do look just like him,” Hiyori said, covering her smile with both hands as Yato frowned, looking hilariously similar to his angry little rice balls. 

“You couldn’t be any more ridiculous,” Yukine laughed. 

“I want angry Yato rice balls from now on!” Kofuku said. 

“They’re not me! They’re generic angry faces!” Yato insisted. “I hate all of you!”

“You’re making the riceball face now!” Kazuma laughed. 

“Shut up! I am not!” 

Bishamon watched as Kazuma teased Yato, face much more relaxed than she’d seen him in a long time. The two of them still weren’t touching, but there was an ease to their interaction, even when they seemed to be holding back on her account. 

“Is no one going to talk about how Yato’s reaction to being angry at Kazuma was to make him dinner that frowned at him?” Yukine asked, rolling his eyes as he helped Daikoku serve everyone their dinner. 

“Once he made me eggs sunny side up with a bacon frown, as well,” Kazuma said. Yato screeched in indignation as everyone else laughed. 

Exactly how much time do they spend together? Bishamon wondered. Even as she racked her brain she couldn’t remember Kazuma going missing for any long periods of time, so when had they found so much time to cook each other breakfast?

She studied them through her eyelashes while they ate, observing their easy familiarity. At one point Kazuma said, “Babe, could you pass the-” and looked up to see Yato was already holding the soy sauce in his face. They exchanged a warm look they thought nobody else saw, each smiling at their own plates.

“Be careful, the water is hot,” Kazuma warned, passing a plate to Yato. 

“I know ,” Yato said, rolling his eyes. “You’re such a nag.” Kazuma shook his head, smiling as he met Yato’s eyes. Yato smiled back, taking the now clean plate and drying it off. 

The two of them had volunteered for dish duty in a rather transparent bid for some alone time. 

“I’m not taking the blame if you break a plate,” Kazuma said, lightheartedly. 

Yato’s mood turned serious as he took the next plate from Kazuma. “How did it go, really?” 

Kazuma hesitated, “she shouted a bit, but she calmed down pretty quickly. I think she was mostly surprised.” Yato nodded, taking another plate from Kazuma. 

“Good. That’s good. You noticed her staring at us?” 

“Yeah, I think she’s trying to figure out what kind of couple we are, how we get along.”

“I think we get along pretty well,” Yato said, waggling his eyebrows. Kazuma chuckled, leaning forward. Yato met him halfway, pecking him on the lips. 

“I agree.” 

The two smiled and returned to washing the dishes. 

“Maybe someday soon you can take me on a real date, Mister Hot Shot,” Yato said, grinning. 

Kazuma snorted, “Oh, yeah, I have to pay.”

“Yeah, since you’re the rich one and all.”

“Alright fine , maybe when things blow over I’ll take you on a date,” Kazuma said, passing Yato the last of the plates and pulling the plug from the drain. 

Yato dried it then passed Kazuma the rag so he could dry off his hands. He did, then used the towel to pull Yato in for a kiss. 

“No more hiding,” Yato breathed when they separated, “we don’t have to live only in moments in the shadows anymore.” He looked down, resting his forehead against Kazuma’s. “I didn’t think it would feel this good.” 

“Freeing,” Kazuma said, pressing closer as Yato’s hands tangled in his hair. “No more hiding.” He leaned forward to kiss Yato but was interrupted when Yukine came into the room, brushing past them disinterestedly to get to the refrigerator. 

“Maybe a little hiding,” he suggested as he opened the fridge door. “Or at least some awareness of your surroundings. You guys know Bishamon is watching you right?” Both turned wide eyes on the door, jumping apart when they saw Bishamon. 

“Viina!” Kazuma exclaimed. 

“Bishamon! I, um, knew you were there.” 

“Idiots,” Yukine said, walking between the three of them with a juice box in hand. 

“How long have you been standing there?” Kazuma asked, exchanging a worried with Yato, hands twisting nervously. 

“Long enough,” she said. “The two of you… you’ve been together for a long time, haven’t you?” 

Yato looked at Kazuma again, and she now realized he was waiting for his lead, trying not to say something that would get him in trouble. Kazuma visibly braced himself, then took Yato’s hand, twining their fingers together. 

“Yeah, we have. Centuries.” 

Bishamon nodded once. “Alright.” She turned to go, and Yato was unable to resist calling after her, addressing her for the first time since she’d arrived today. 

“Alright? Seriously? Is that all you have to say? He’s been terrified this whole time of upsetting you! When he stopped you from killing Yukine you banished him, and all you have to say after he tells you we’re a couple is ‘Alright?’!” 

Silence fell, Yato’s raised voice had attracted the attention of the others, and all eyes were once again on Bishamon. She looked from the fire in Yato’s eyes to the way he held himself ever so slightly in front of Kazuma, then to the way Kazuma squeezed his hand for comfort, laying his other hand on Yato’s shoulder. 

“You make him happy,” she said simply, “so it’s alright.” 

Surprise filtered through Yato’s expression as something very familiar filled Kazuma’s face. Gratitude. She met his eyes and nodded, half a smile playing across her face. 

Kazuma nodded back, shoulders relaxing, and finally the last of his nerves faded, leaving the both of them at peace. 

Chapter Text

Bishamon barged into his room without knocking, catching him in his boxers. 

“V-viina?” Kazuma said, crossing his arms self consciously over his chest. He put his self-consciousness on hold when he gave him an annoyed look and started massaging her temples. “Oh, sorry.”

“Are you feeling alright?” She asked, though she knew the answer. Obviously. 

“I’m just… nervous about tonight.” Bishamon rolled her eyes so hard her purple irises totally disappeared. “What?” He asked indignantly. 

“What could you possibly be nervous about?” She sat down on his mattress with a huff.

“I don’t know, it’s our first ever date, what if he decides he doesn’t like me?” Bishamon looked, if possible, even more done than before. 

“Kazuma, that man has been in love with you for centuries, to hear him tell it, I doubt there’s anything you could do to make him stop now.” 

“I know ,” Kazuma said miserably, plopping down on the bed next to her, still only in his boxers. “But I can’t help but feel like once we step out in the light of day he’s going to lose interest in me. What if all we ever had was the excitement of something forbidden?” 

“Okay well, that’s bullshit, considering how guilty you always felt. I didn’t even realize it until you stopped and I was like ‘oh, so this is how people normally feel.’” She hadn’t said it with any venom, but the statement made him feel worse. She groaned in protest. “Stop with the self-loathing, I’m literally begging.” 

“Sorry,” Kazuma said again, taking a few deep breaths. “It’s just, he’s so- so- he’s a god of war or delivery or fortune, I don’t know it’s like he changes his mind every three days, but he’s so big .” He held his hands out, a foot apart in front of him to demonstrate this big-ness.

“OkAY!” Bishamon half-shouted, standing and backing away, hands waving, “some things I do not need to know, for clarification.” 

“That’s not what I meant!” Kazuma cried, mortified. Bishamon gave him a wary look before sitting back down on the corner of his bed, as far from him as possible. Kazuma flopped uselessly onto his back, arms splayed out wide. Bishamon flicked him in the ribs, giving him an almost pitying look. 

“So what did you mean, and please, keep it PG.” Kazuma flushed bright red. 

“It’s like he- and you too- just take up so much space. You’re so big and brilliant and divine and it’s like, I could never compare. And when we were lurking in the shadows I could almost ignore it, but I’m just afraid that now that we’re able to be out in the open, he won’t be interested in me anymore. I’m nothing compared to him.” 

“You are not nothing,” Bishamon said, with so much raw conviction that Kazuma opened his eyes to meet her powerful gaze. 

“Now get up and put on your pants .” 

Well, it’s not like he could refuse an order from his master.

Hiyori walked quickly down the street, a garment bag with several of her brothers outfits of varying formalness draped over one arm. Half an hour ago she’d received an SOS from Yukine saying that Yato was all in a tizzy over not having anything proper to wear on his date with Kazuma. In the background of the phone call she’d heard Yato moaning loudly about how Kazuma could never love him if he went on a date in the tracksuit. 

She could hear the exasperation in Yukine’s voice and decided to intervene in the hopes of saving them all a fair amount of frustrations and tissues when Yato came home crying that he’d somehow ruined their first date by not choosing the right footwear. 

Also hopefully she’d be able to convince Yato that if Yato’s wannabe idol phase hadn’t been able to scare Kazuma away then probably nothing could. Seriously. She’d seen the Daisy Dukes. Kazuma was very in love to have overlooked that . 

She groaned and shook her head when she reached the end of Kofuku’s street. She could hear Yato’s wailing and Yukine’s shouting from here. This evening was certainly going to be an event. Hiyori didn’t bother to announce herself when she stepped into the house, they wouldn’t have been able to hear her say it anyway. Daikoku looked at her with such relief she wondered how bad Yato had really been before taking the steps to their attic bedroom. 

She slid open the door to find Yato laying on top of his kimono, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers, with a small assortment of clothes scattered about the room. The Daisy Dukes were cast into the farthest corner and Hiyori half laughed imagining Yukine casting them aside in a fit of rage and disgust. 

“Hiyori you’re here !” Yukine said, drawing Yato’s attention. Yato leapt to his feet and spanned the room in one bound, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her stomach. 

“HIYORI YOU HAVE TO HELP ME I’M GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING!”

“No you’re not,” she said gently, prising Yato away from herself and wiping his eyes with her handkerchief. “You’re just nervous. Now I brought some of my brother’s things. They may be a little bit big on you, but I think they could work.” 

“Thank you!” Yato cried, attention now on the garment bag. 

To stop him from shredding the thing in his excitement she hung the bag up on the doorframe and opened it, pulling out several shirts and pants, and one kimono. 

“Now how formal is your date? We’ll get you cleaned up and dressed appropriately, not that Kazuma will care what you wear.” 

“I don’t know, I’ve never heard of the place he said he’s taking me.”

“What was the name?” Hiyori asked, pulling out her phone. “We’ll google it.”

“You really didn’t have to drop me off,” Kazuma said, face flushed. “I know the way.”

“I know, but I wanted to embarrass you after having to deal with you all morning.” 

“...fair.” He finished, pressing his lips together. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to lick my thumb and wipe a smudge off your face.” Kazuma nodded, deciding to focus on this small reassurance and not the fact that his master was dropping him off for his first date. He felt suddenly juvenile. 

They opened the gate and peered down the path into the dining room of Kofuku’s house, and Kazuma was both unsurprised and reassured to see Hiyori there. So he wasn’t the only one with a well-wishing committee. Yato was wearing a shirt he didn’t recognize, it looked a little big on him, but the midnight blue suited him very well. 

Yato looked up and his eyes landed on Kazuma. He looked him up and down, apparently having a very similar line of thought to himself before Hiyori looked up and saw them. 

“You’re here!” She said. She sounded relieved. Kazuma wondered briefly if Yato had been giving them a lot of trouble. Again he felt better to have not been the only one. 

“Bisha! We weren’t expecting to see you here,” Kofuku trilled. 

“Ah, well, Kazuma was a little nervous, so I thought I’d walk him here to his first-ever date.” Kazuma felt his face flame as Bishamon smiled viciously, glad of her revenge for the headache he’d given her. 

“Yato too,” Hiyori said, indulging in the same glee that Bishamon was. “He’s been a total mess all afternoon.” 

“Hiyori!” Yato protested. 

“You look very nice, Kazu!” Kofuku said as they stepped into the room. 

“He does! We should take a picture to mark the occasion! Prom Pictures!” Hiyori said, whipping out her smartphone with an evil glint in her eye.

“You’re absolutely right!” Bishamon cooed, rounding the table to peer over Hiyori’s shoulder at the screen of her phone. 

“Alright put your arms around each other,” Hiyori said, not bothering to hide her mischief. 

“No,” Yato said, turning his nose up indignantly. 

“Do it,” Bishamon growled, so fiercely that even Yato didn’t argue. Yukine joined the two women, as did Daikoku and Kofuku, in directing Yato and Kazuma into several silly prom-like poses before Kazuma finally said they would be late for their reservation if they didn’t leave then. 

Not done having fun at their expense, the rest of their so-called friends kept calling out meaningless first date platitudes. 

“Remember to keep your elbows off the table!” Daikoku called. 

“Don’t burn down the restaurant!” Kofuku pitched in. 

“Have fun!” Hiyori said. 

“But not too much fun,” Bishamon added, in a stroke of genius. 

The two men left the yard practically at a run.