#it was mostly intended to be a silly au nothing overly serious

[falindankovsky]

Everynow and then i remember my Daniil creates a homunculus au and sometimes i get sad i didn’t do anything with it

[thedeliverygod]

Cinderella AU

I got this idea while watching the live action remake of Cinderella on Freeform (which is arguably the best version imo, fight me). And after blabbing about it to my discord group, ideas came together and out came this. Enjoy!

if you’d prefer to read on Ao3 or fanfiction.net please check out this link

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: Chapter 1

For as long as he could remember, it had always been just Yato and his mother, Sakura. His father had passed away when he just a baby and for years, Sakura had never remarried. Unfortunately, that meant that she had to work long hours and take long trips once Yato was old enough to be left alone. Still, they made the most of the precious time they had together. On the rare occasion Yato did ask about his father, Sakura would always respond the same.

She would smile and laugh, “Ebisu was very clumsy, but he was the sweetest and most thoughtful person I’ve ever met. You very much remind me of him, minus the clumsiness, of course.” At that, Yato would beam.

Many years later when Sakura had come up from a trip, Yato was in shock when she told him that she had met someone that she intended to marry. In fact, he was a bit bitter; they had done just fine all these years by themselves. He had always taken care of the house while she was away and she had done just fine with the financial side of things, so what was the purpose?

It was at dinner when Yato saw a new sparkle to her eyes while talking to the new man that he understood. Sakura deserved to be happy, so he finally swallowed his pride and smiled along with the rest of them. Still, despite Sakura’s newfound happiness and his acceptance, there was something about this Kouto Fujisaki that rubbed Yato the wrong way no matter how hard he tried to shake it. But for his mother, he’d do anything.

Shortly before the wedding, Yato was burdened with another surprise; a younger stepsister named Hiiro. Kouto had described her as adorable but he honestly found her a bit creepy. She hardly said anything at all and mostly just stared at him in a way that gave him the chills. Thankfully, she mostly kept to herself and he continued to keep busy with things around to house as he always did.

Sakura had wanted the wedding small and simple, but Kouto would have none of that. He repeated that he wanted to show off his new bride to the whole world and wanted to plan an elaborate ceremony. Yato wanted to gag every time he heard it but the flattery apparently worked over his mother as that was exactly the way it turned out. The tight clothing and large crowd were enough to make him pass out, but he plastered a smile on his face as served as the ringbearer for the couple. Across from him, Hiiro looked quite unpleased to be the flower girl and he let out a small laugh at her expression.

And they were a “happy” family for a while. Then Sakura suddenly started getting sick.

It started with coughing fits, a bit of fatigue. Nothing that seemed too serious, but Yato constantly told her to make sure she didn’t overwork herself anyway. And then one day he was rattling on about something he had done earlier that morning and one of her coughing fits kicked in, he saw her pull her hand away to find blood sprinkled across her hand.

“Mother!” Yato immediately clung to her, ushering her to bed and promising he would go get a doctor. On their way up to the bedroom, they ran into Kouto and after updating him on the situation, Yato hesitantly left Sakura in his care.

The doctor unfortunately didn’t have many answers to give. He prescribed a medication to be taken twice a day, ordered bed rest, and assured them that he’d be back in a week to check on her condition.

Sakura only worsened.

It quickly got to the point that she could hardly speak. Yato stayed by her side, holding her hand and closely monitoring her small motions to make sure her every need was met. He only left the room when he begrudgingly agreed to do small tasks for Kouto, but he supposed it was the man’s strange way of asking for alone time with his wife so he let it be.

One morning Yato awoke to find that the warmth had drained from Sakura’s hands. And soon, much of the warmth was drained out of his life.

He didn’t have much time to grieve as Kouto kept him extremely busy, giving him much of the work that generally went to the housekeepers. Soon enough, he eventually was staying in the servant’s quarters rather than his own room.

Ironically, despite their relationship growing ever distant, Kouto had commanded Yato to call him “Father”. And so he did, despite the bitter taste it left on his tongue.

Years passed and Yato got more accustomed to his new lifestyle, surviving due to his hard work and the kindness of others as he waited desperately for the right time to escape. Freedom was getting so close he could almost taste it, but he still had to wait. The timing wasn’t right just yet.

He had tried before shortly after Sakura’s death and had been met with a terrible failure. He was beaten senselessly, starved, and isolated for several days.

Preferably, he wanted to leave with Daikoku and Kofuku, the cook and his wife who he had befriended over the past few years. Daikoku was a tall and burly man who looked quite intimidating at first glance but was a big softy at heart. Kofuku on the other hand was a tiny clumsy girl with pink hair and a bright attitude. They were the only staff left from when his mother was still alive, and it was mostly only because Yato purposely made a point to not learn how to cook well, at least to Kouto’s knowledge. It of course resulted in quite a few cuts and bruises for the several ‘failed’ dinners he had prepared, but it was worth it in order to keep Daikoku and Kofuku around. Afterall, they were all he had left.

“How would you feel about getting some fresh air today?” Daikoku strolled over to Yato as he hung up the laundry on the line.

He squinted and looked around in confusion, “Uh, we’re already outside?”

“I mean going into town and getting off this property for a little while, smartass.” Daikoku gave him a light smack on the back of his head, “I need a few things.”

“Oh.” He smiled sheepishly before retorting back, “Not sure if I would exactly call that fresh air, but sure. Guess it’d be nice.”

Daikoku smirked and reached into his pocked, “Thought so.” He pulled out a folded piece of parchment and pushed it into Yato’s hand, “Try to enjoy yourself somewhat, but I do really need all of this.”

“Of course, I take all my jobs seriously.” He winked before pocketing the list and Daikoku rolled his eyes.

“Just make sure you’re back in time so that you don’t get us all in trouble, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Yato ducked inside the kitchen to grab a large sack to carry the produce in and quickly popped back out.

He had only made it through half of the yard when an overly sweet voice rang out, “And where are you going, Yaboku?”

Yato looked to Hiiro and tried his best to hold back a frown as he held up the empty sack, “Daikoku needs some produce from the market place.”

“Hmm. Alright.” She accepted his answer with a hum as she jumped down from the tree branch she’d been sitting on, “Just making sure you’re not getting any silly ideas about anything like running away again.”

His breath caught in his chest for a moment before he exhaled, “I learned my lesson. You don’t need to spy on me for Father.”

“One can never be too careful.” She replied before slipping away into the tall grass.

Sighing, Yato continued on his way with a mutter, “Yeah, sure.”

Yaboku was another way that Kouto, and now Hiiro, degraded him. It was another reading of his name, but it was not his name. It was another thing that distanced him from the wonderful life he had lived with Sakura.

Still, he had plenty of things that they couldn’t take away that reminded him of her. Cherry blossom trees, warm summer nights, certain foods… Some of them were just very vague feelings, but he held on to them dearly.

The marketplace was a fair walk, but not enough to tire him out. Dealing with the merchants and the crowds was more of the issue for him. After a few relatively small struggles, he managed to get everything on the list.

“Phew…” He wiped at his forehead, feeling the weight of the sack straining his shoulders and back.

Just as he was about to turn to head home, he noticed a blonde boy frantically rushing through the crowd and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. A few people gave the boy annoyed glances, but overall ignored him. Eventually, the boy found himself directly in front of horse drawn cart.

“Move!” Yato shouted out as he pushed the boy out of the way, the contents of his sack spilling everywhere.

“Wha—” The boy didn’t finish his question before he and Yato both hit the ground and the carriage quickly came to a stop.

The coachman of the cart was immediately apologetic, asking if Yato and Yukine were okay to which they quietly nodded before carriage’s door slammed open.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” A well-dressed man stepped out and moved closer to them, his face red in anger, “You could have injured my horses or caused irreparable damages to my carriage!”

The blonde boy’s mouth opened to respond, but Yato could see he was shaking in fear.

“It was an accident, my lord. I deeply apologize for my little brother’s actions. I should have been keeping a better eye on him.” He lied through his teeth as he bowed his head.

“A mere apology is not enough! Imagine if something had happened, how did you expect to pay for this?” He stepped even closer, his palm held up as if he were about to strike either or both of the boys.

“Sir, I ask that you please stop.” A female voice rung out and Yato looked up in surprise.

A girl who long brown hair barely hidden by a hood walked through the crowd and approached the angered man.

“And who are you?” He huffed in return.

She slightly lifted her cloak to show her family crest before continuing, “These boys are with me and I apologize on their behalf. They’re… new at this.” She forced a smile.

The man was speechless for a moment before he gave his own bow and apologized back, “No, I apologize for making a scene, my lady. I will take my leave now.”

She nodded, “Thank you.”

As the man nervously went back into his carriage, Yato looked up into the brown eyes of his savior. “Um, thank you.”

“I saw what you did, you’re very kind.” She gave a bright smile as she kneeled down, looking over to the smaller boy, “Speaking of… are you alright? What were you running from?” She reached out to touch his arm but he recoiled.

“I’m fine… and I don’t want to talk about it.” He grumbled.

Yato gave him a stern look, “The least you could do is say thank you.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Yato shook his head and flashed her an apologetic look.

“Looks like you could use a bit more help, too.” Hiyori reached towards the few apples that had collected around her feet.

He gave a sheepish laugh, “Yeah, if you don’t mind…”

“Of course.” She smiled again, asking, “So what are your names?”

“Yato.” He answered automatically before nudging the blonde boy, “C’mon, I just saw my life flash in front of my eyes when I jumped in front of that carriage for you. The least you can do is tell us your name.”

“Over dramatic much?” He commented back before hiding his face, muttering, “It’s Yukine.”

“I’m Hiyori.” She stated as she continued to return various items back into Yato’s sack, apologizing, “I’m sorry, but it looks like a few things did get a little roughed up.”

Yato shrugged and gave a grin, “We’re alive and we’re not thrown in a dungeon or anything like that, thanks to you, so… I’ll take it.”

Hiyori flushed, “I’m sure you would have managed, but… I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

Yukine finally piped in, “Hey, so… That guy got pretty freaked out. Are you part of some super rich family or something?”

“Um, well… yeah.” She sighed and gave a frustrated smile, “But I hate it. I feel like I’m trapped in my own house. So I sneak out sometimes, like this.” She motioned to her cloak, “I carry around my family crest for emergencies like today, but he seemed so embarrassed that hopefully it won’t make its way back to my parents.”

“Dunno, rumors spread like wildfire around here.” Yato answered in a monotone. He’d heard far too many once Kouto came to live with them.

Hiyori bit her lip, “That’s true. I’ll just deal with it if I have to.”

“So if your family’s so strict, how exactly do you get out?” Yukine asked with his arm crossed, a bit of ire to his tone.

She smiled widely again as she explained, “Yama and Ami—they’re the servants assigned to me but they’re also my best friends. They saw how depressed I was becoming and suggested it to me. Well, Yama more so than Ami. I was really nervous about it at first, but I’m so glad they convinced me to do it.”

“But how much trouble do you get them in every time you do?” He asked with a blank stare.

“I would never—” Hiyori immediately began to defend herself but Yato interrupted.

“Look, kid. Obviously she’s from a different world than us, but we don’t know anything about her life just like she doesn’t know anything about ours so hold your judgement.”

Yukine glared but stayed silent, turning his head away.

Giving a soft sigh, she mumbled, “Thank you.”

“I guess while we’re on the subject—if you’re okay with sharing, that is.” Yato quickly waved his hands, correcting himself, “Exactly how often do you sneak out? Just because it would—it would be kind of nice to see you again. You know, just as a friend and not the girl who saved our lives.”

She gave a small giggle, “Right. Um, I used to sneak out at least once a week or so… the days kind of vary because I basically wait until every one else is so busy they won’t notice I’m gone. But…” She gave a harsh sigh, “Unfortunately it’s becoming more complicated lately. I’m of marrying age and all, so now I have to deal with suitors and…” Her groan practically turned into a growl.

“So uh, not a fan of the idea of getting married, then?” Yato laughed nervously at her sudden change in demeanor.

“That’s not it.” Hiyori waved her hands and shook her head, “I think it’s wonderful but I want it to be with someone I want to spend my life with, not who’s forced upon me. But also, the way I’m treated these days just makes me feel like everyone thinks all women are good for is just to be brides and have children and all that.”

“I can’t relate, clearly. But my mother was a wonderful person and she was the head of our family for many years so anyone who does think women are only good for housekeeping type things are sorely mistaken.” He saw a curious look in her eyes and sensed she was likely going to ask more about Sakura, but quickly shut it down, “Anyway, thank you for everything today. I really need to get going, especially since I’ve got to drag this kid along with me.”

“Who said I was going with you?” Yukine gave another glare.

Yato reached down and gently touched the top of his head which was at first met with a flinch, but Yukine relaxed as he realized it was a kind touch, “Well, you were running from something, so I figured you needed some place to go. And I’ve got the perfect hiding spot.”

Yukine took a moment before roughly shoving Yato’s hand away, “Fine.”

As they all stood up, Hiyori called out, “Be safe.”

“You as well. Hopefully we meet again soon.” Yato smiled before turning and gently shoving Yukine in the direction they needed to go.

A safe distance away, Yukine mumbled, “I don’t know why you even bother flirting, it’s not like there’s a chance in hell you could be with a girl like that if she really is from a rich family like she says.”

“I was not flirting.” Yato retorted, “I was being nice.”

Yukine rolled his eyes, “If that was just being nice then I’d hate to see what your actual flirting looks like.”

“Do you ever have anything nice to say?” The older boy asked, exasperated.

“Show me this supposed hiding spot of yours and we’ll see.”