Hope ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 13: Broken Hearted

~Yato's POV~

"You have reached the voicemailbox of Y/N L/N. Please leave a message after the tone -" the prerecorded message says again.

I hang up before leaving a message and scoff, "What the hell? Is she going freakin' M.I.A. again?"

"Who? Y/N?" Yukine asks, looking up at me.

"Nah, the little -yes, Y/N! Who else would it be?" I snap sarcastically.

"Hey, hey! Chill! I was joking! Geeze!" he complains. "Who pissed you off this early?"

Good question? Am I pissed? Am I even mad? Honestly, I don't think so. If anything, I feel...worried? But why would I be worried? I have no reason to be worried...but Y/N...she hasn't picked up at all today. She hasn't texted back, either. Is something wrong? Did something happen to her? Maybe I am...worried. But over her? Why?

It's just Y/N.

Not like I have any reason to care one way or the other. In fact, I shouldn't care. I'm a very busy guy with a very busy schedule...sort of...kind of...maybe. Regardless, my schedule can and does get busy...sometimes. So, I shouldn't be thinking about some girl...right? After all, she is just some girl. It's not like I care about her or what she does.

Crap. I freeze in my tracks, causing Yukine to turn. His eyes meet mine as he lifts a brow, but I just stand frozen in place, my heart racing against my ribs. A wave of numb realization begins to sneak up on me, though I'm fighting it. I don't want it to crash down on me. I don't want to know...but I already do. I've known all along.

"No freakin' way," I murmur.

"Hmm?" Yukine hums. "What? What is it, Yato? Is something wrong?"

I shake my head and push by him, huffing, "Hopefully not. Come on, Yukine. We gotta make a detour."

"A detour? What for?" he calls, chasing after me. "Yato! Answer me!"

We'll find out when we get there. I breathe.

***

"Alright...so, why are we spying on Y/N?" Yukine asks.

"W-we're not spying," I stammer defensively.

He lifts a brow. "Really? We're hiding in the bushes...on the roof of the coffee shop. Why do we even have bushes, anyway? This is unnatural!"

Kid has a point. "Fine, ditch the bushes, but remain in position."

We both toss our disguises to the ground and crouch. Even though we're up high, I don't want to risk Y/N seeing us. After all, she's just down below, staring out at the ocean...something she does when her mind is racing. That's what I've observed, anyway. She just stands and stares, the light bathing her.

Even from up here...even from where I hide...I can see just how...pretty she is. How pretty she is as the wind blows her h/c (your hair color) locks. How pretty she is when the light dances in her e/c (your eye color) orbs. How pretty she is as she...as she does absolutely nothing but stands. She does nothing and yet, she is just so pretty...even more so, she's...beautiful. She's beautiful.

She's beautiful. I tell myself, feeling my cheeks redden. What the hell? I shake my head, trying to push the thought from my mind. I can't. I can't allow myself to get attached. Not again...not after all that happened with Hiyori. I can't get involved with another human...that is, if she even is a human. I still don't know what she is, but that doesn't matter. I still can't risk getting involved.

"You're, uh...you're staring awfully hard there," Yukine snickers, grasping my attention. "So, are we creepin' 'cause you have a little crush on Y/N?"

"W-what?!" I stutter, nearly jumping out of my hiding place, but I quickly catch myself and remain hidden. "What? Of course, not! That's ridiculous! I mean, w-what would make y-you t-think that?"

He lifts a brow. "Really? It's so painfully obvious. Y/N this, Y/N that. You're always bringing her up. Just admit it, you like her."

My face burns. The last thing I need is my regalia to be patronizing me over this.

"What? Can't a friend worry about another friend?" I question, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Sure," he shrugs. "But we both know how you feel about her. You like her. You like her, like her."

The burning intensifies. "Shut up! Y-you don't k-know that!"

"Ha! You do! You do like her!" he cackles. "I suspected it, but seeing your reaction is priceless!"

It's almost like he's cornering me. Then again, he does have a point. I bring up Y/N quite a bit. But that's just because...because...she's always on my mind. She's always there, even when I try to push her away. Damn.

Defeated, I sigh, "Fine, you caught me. I do...I do have feelings for her."

His face lights up. "What are you waiting for? You should tell her and -"

"I can't," I murmur, dropping my stare.

He pauses, blinking. "You can't? You can't what?"

I bite my lips. I don't expect him to understand. I don't expect him to get it. He was too young to go through this...and his past life is merely forgotten. So, he wouldn't understand this...this feeling. It hurts. My heart beats so fast and hard against my chest, and all I can do is stand idle as it braces itself to be broken again.

I breathe, "Because, no matter how much I care about her, I can't force her to return those feelings." I bring my stare to his. "Not when her heart still belongs to another."

**Bello my sweet lovelies! A little Yato POV. Figured it'd be nice to see a glimpse into him. One thing is certain, he cares about Y/N, but what does that mean? What will happen as the story progresses? Feel free to make some guesses! Thank you so, so, soooo much for everything! Y'all are the absolute best! Stay groovy! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross

P.S. "Middle of the Night" by Monsta X.