Warning: Boys kissing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Natsume Yuujinchou or any of its characters. That honor belongs to Midorikawa Yuki. This was written purely for entertainment and no offense is intended. I am not and will never make a profit from any of this.
A/N: Written for the Natsume Yuujinchou fic exchange, for Aishiteru. Yanno, I didn't even like this pairing before I wrote this. But after studying up on the manga chapters and anime, now I think they're just so gosh-darned cute.
The sound echoed into the trees, coarse and whining like an animal call. A wounded animal. It wasn't at all pleasant. Nyanko-sensei flattened his triangular ears against his skull. "Will you knock it off?" He growled. "Trust a human to come up with something so irritating."
Tanuma took his lips from the blade of grass stretched between his thumbs. "Sorry," he grinned sheepishly.
"You're really good at it," Natsume said from where he was sitting next to him. He ran his long fingers through the grassy clearing where they sat.
It was only a short distance from the shrine where he lived, but Tanuma had forgotten all about the spot. He passed by it once on accident while exploring his new home. He liked how the sunlight filtered through the opening in the canopy, warming the small hill and glinting off the stream that it dipped into. He wondered why it was only now that he remembered it.
Natsume finally plucked a single blade of grass. He wrung it in his hands in an attempt to get the placement right before blowing silently into his palms. Bemused, Tanuma watched him struggle a little before selecting another one of his own. "It has to be flat and narrow, like this one," he explained, showing the leaf to Natsume. "Then stretch it really straight between your thumbs."
Natsume awkwardly followed his instructions, "Like this?"
"Then just blow into your palms."
Natsume touched his lips to his thumbs, making an airy squeak.
"A little harder."
Taking a deep breath, Natsume tried again. This time, it produced a long, even whine that frightened a bird from the nearby branches. Natsume blinked with a startled expression at his own hands. Then, he turned to Tanuma with a bright smile.
Ah, that was it. "That was even better than mine," Tanuma laughed. He remembered. It was Natsume's warm expression that reminded him of this place.
"I've never been able to do it before."
"Well, when you're a kid stuck out here in the country, I guess you just naturally learn to make your own fun."
"Kids used to do it in the city, too," Natsume explained. "Just no one ever taught me how."
Tanuma felt a twinge of guilt. Natsume didn't seem bothered, however, and blew another note on the whistle. Tanuma sighed with a grin, then followed suit. Soon the forest was filled with their shrill whines and squawks.
"GAHH, enough, I said!" A shudder ran over the length of Nyanko-sensei's round body and he ripped out clumps of grass with clenched paws. "If you don't stop, I'll make it so you don't need grass to make that noise! What are you laughing at?" The cat waved his stubby paws threateningly in the boys' direction. Natsume covered his mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. His fidgeting affected Tanuma in turn, who suddenly couldn't hold back his own chuckling.
Natsume noticed it before Tanuma did.
A rustling of leaves unlike a bird or an animal preceded a gust of air shooting past Tanuma's cheek. He jumped, but Natsume was already on his feet. The smaller boy's eyes darted in all directions at the empty air like a cat noticing an invisible bug. Tanuma tried following his line of sight, only catching glances of shadow or disturbed grass where the thing bounced.
It wasn't until Natsume's face turned towards Tanuma that he got a good look at a round, foggy shape hurdling in his direction. "Tanu-!" Natsume's voice cut-off as Tanuma felt something akin to being punched in the mouth. He flopped backwards hard. The force knocked the breath out of his lungs, or rather, he simply couldn't breathe. It felt like something was lodged in his throat.
"Tanuma!" Natsume appeared wide-eyed above him. That kind of expression again, huh? Tanuma thought as he gagged and clutched uselessly at his neck.
"Cough it up, idiot!" Nyanko-sensei barked at him before delivering a powerful head-butt to Tanuma's abdomen.
Tanuma gave a final heave as the shadowy thing dislodged and shot outwards. Bark scattered as it ricocheted off a tree, and suddenly it was Natsume on the ground. Tanuma scrambled to his knees overlooking the other boy. iolentlyhe coughed and chokedbeforehe coughed and choked. thwas Natsume on the 's . bug. o suddenly couldNatsume coughed violently.
"I got it, I got it," Nyanko-sensei climbed on top of Natsume and gave him the same treatment. "Come on, out with it!"
Natsume groaned, "Hold on…Sen-sensei – oof!"
Nyanko-sensei punched him in the gut with several powerful jabs of his paw, before taking to bouncing on his stomach. Natsume mouthed a few pained objections before swatting the cat away and curling in on himself with a palm over his mouth.
Nyanko-sensei rolled past Tanuma as the taller boy shook Natsume's shoulder. "Natsume? What's happening? Natsume!" He turned Natsume towards him, searching his face.
Natsume's eyes were wrung shut. "Tanuma, sorry," he said through labored breaths.
Nyanko-sensei plodded closer, grumbling, "Why did you swallow it, idiot? That one won't come out so easily."
"S-Sorry," Natsume repeated. He caught Tanuma's eyes suddenly, then just as quickly averted his gaze.
At that, Tanuma immediately knew what had happened. Before he could say anything, another rustle caused him to whip around. Of course, all he could see was a larger, foggy apparition.
"I thought exorcists were supposed to exorcise, not get people possessed," Nyanko-sensei snorted.
The transparent youkai spoke, though Tanuma could only vaguely make out its voice. He could interpret the insult, however. From behind it, a much more solid figure appeared from the trees. A tall, handsome man wearing a hat and glasses noticed them. "Natsume-kun," the man said in surprise. "And…Tanuma-kun, was it?
"Natori-san," Natsume replied weakly.
The man, whom Tanuma now recognized from their prior encounter, narrowed his eyes and approached hastily. "What happened?" He asked, kneeling down. The youkai moved to his side.
Nyanko-sensei placed himself away from the exorcist, barely glancing at him. "The ayakashi you were chasing possessed him," he explained, nonchalant. "Keep up the good work."
The youkai at Natori's side spoke again. It was closer, so Tanuma was able to pick up a feminine tone. "It was drawn by that racket you were making," she growled defensively. "You were loud enough to wake the dead." Tanuma felt a chill unrelated to the ghostly voice.
Tanuma felt movement under his hand. Natsume's eyes were shut and his body shivered. "Natsume, are you in pain?" Tanuma asked. The only response was a faint shake of Natsume's head.
"I'll get it out," Natori said and reached into his pocket to pull out a slip of paper.
"Idiot, don't even try it," Nyanko-sensei snapped. At Natori's quizzical face, the cat answered reluctantly, "I guess I can't expect a brat like you to know. That might work in most cases, but this one has gotten too big. It'll wreck his body if you try to force it out."
"I assume you have a better idea."
"Hmph. Of course."
Tanuma spoke up, "I live nearby. We can take Natsume there."
Tanuma supported the bulk of Natsume's weight as the boy staggered at Tanuma's side with an arm draped over his shoulder. Natori followed closely, only pausing momentarily to look outside at the yard. The shapes of koi reflected off the paper door, but that wasn't what the man was looking at. He can see them like Natsume, Tanuma pondered with a touch of jealousy.
Luckily, Tanuma's father was busy with his studies as usual and wouldn't notice them shuffling down the hall into Tanuma's room. They laid Natsume on the futon delicately, his body going limp. The boy hadn't spoken since they entered the house, and now he was barely conscious. "Ponta…" Tanuma searched for the cat nervously.
Nyanko-sensei appeared at Natsume's side and touched his forehead. "He'll live, for now. That youkai causes a bad sickness in the humans they possess. It usually goes away on its own, but since this is a bigger one, I wouldn't count on it," he speculated. "It was probably a rice-ball or a manju that was discarded and rotted away without being eaten."
"Something like that can become an ayakashi?" Tanuma wondered.
Natori, however, nodded. "There's a place that holds festivals not far from here, and the people who arrange them have been coming down with a mysterious illness," he explained, "I was hired to clear them out, but one slipped past me. If exorcising it would harm Natsume, then what did you have in mind?"
The cat replied, "I don't remember what it's called, but it works like a charm in this situation. Do you know of a plant with needle-like leaves and tiny white flowers that bunch around the base? It has a very strong smell."
"I've seen it," Natori answered in a way that made Tanuma guess it wasn't a "normal" plant.
"Then you know it's attractive to many types of youkai. If it smells the plant nearby, it should come out on its own. Simple enough?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that particular plant is out of season."
"You better get searching, then. Or you can risk doing it your way."
Natori raised his hands in defeat. "Looks like there's no choice," he sighed, heading for the door.
"Hold on," Tanuma scrambled to his feet, "I'll look, too."
"It'd be more helpful if you stayed here and kept an eye on Natsume," Natori replied dismissively. "Don't worry. This is my fault, so I'll take responsibility."
"Besides," Nyanko-sensei added, "Natsume doesn't like to involve you so much. He'll probably worry. Are you okay with that?"
Tanuma opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again. He's right. Natsume would tell me to stay, he cast his gaze to the boy lying nearby. Though his breathing settled, his expression was strained with discomfort and sweat collected on his brow. I don't want to make him worry. But even so…
"He won't care if this guy goes, though," the cat statue quipped.
"Ah…you don't have to say it like that…" Natori mumbled.
Tanuma took a breath. "I know he wouldn't like it, but," He spoke hesitantly, "I'm sorry, but this is somewhat my fault as well. I won't do anything dangerous, so please let me do what I can."
Natori blinked. He sighed and scratched his cheek with a small smile. "Well, I thought it would be nice if I could play the hero," he admitted to a bewildered Tanuma. "You're right, though. We need to do all we can to help Natsume. Let me see…" Natori dug through his belongings before pulling something from his bag and offering it to the younger man. "I'll lend you these. It won't be a huge difference, but it couldn't hurt." Tanuma accepted the object, finding it to be a pair a glasses. At his questioning face, Natori explained, "It's easier to see spirits indirectly, whether it's through glass, in a reflection, or in your peripheral vision. You still won't see them like we can, but it's a good tip to remember."
Tanuma inspected the plain, wire frames dubiously. He slipped the lenses on his face, then turned to the shadowy figure at Natori's side. He inhaled in surprise. Natori had said it wouldn't make much of a difference, but Tanuma immediately recognized the effect. Though she was still transparent and very blurred, when he focused, he could almost make out the details of the youkai's single-eyed mask. "It's rude to stare, boy," Hiiragi scolded in a wispy voice. The glasses didn't seem to enhance Tanuma's hearing.
When he turned back to Natori, he found the older man studying his face carefully. Tanuma shifted under the other's scrutiny, "W-What is it?"
Natori started and shook his head. "Have you ever worn glasses before?" He asked.
"Er, no. My vision is pretty good."
"I see…ah, anyway, time is of the essence. Let's get moving," Natori didn't wait for a response, and made a hasty exit.
"Right…" Tanuma answered. Nyanko-sensei stared at him for a moment with his head cocked to the side. The cat then snorted in amusement before following Natori out of the room. Tanuma followed after more hesitantly, casting one last glance at Natsume's sleeping form. After the odd reception, he decided to make a stop at the bathroom to peek at a mirror.
He gaped. Comprehension entered the face reflected in the mirror. They were only glasses, nothing more, but even he could admit they made a striking difference to his appearance. They fit perfectly along the curves of his long face, framed by dark locks that hung a little too long over his brow. The lenses added an extra glint that brightened his dark eyes. The shape accented his already thoughtful features flawlessly. He flushed with embarrassment and fumbled to remove them. It wasn't that he couldn't appreciate the effect, but Tanuma didn't like standing out more than necessary. He could just imagine going to school looking like that and being swarmed by curious classmates. The thought made him balk. It's not permanent, he reasoned with himself. This is for Natsume. Tanuma reluctantly slipped them back on.
Once outside, he spotted Natori giving instructions to three youkai, who dashed away promptly. The man offered him a friendly wave before taking off as well. Nyanko-sensei strolled up to Tanuma leisurely, "With those four doing all the work, I think I might take a nap instead...I don't suppose you have any sake."
"Say, Ponta. Does Natsume get into these kinds of situations often?" Tanuma questioned off-handedly.
"Hm? I suppose," the cat replied. "It's usually because he sticks his nose into problems that aren't his. Of course, it's always me who has to clean up the mess. What a headache."
Tanuma smiled bitterly, "He swallowed that youkai because he was worried it would attack me again, didn't he?"
"…Yeah, that's the kind of idiotic idea he would come up with," Nyanko-sensei nosed the air and waddled to the tree line. He turned back momentarily to add, "If you want to make him happy, then stay here. Otherwise, do whatever you want." His pudgy body disappeared in the underbrush.
Tanuma wavered. Maybe I shouldn't, but even as he thought it, there was no stopping his legs from moving in the direction of the forest. There's no danger in searching for a simple plant, right?
After an hour, Tanuma felt like he had a good system worked out for seeing the plant as he scanned the surrounding ground for abnormalities. After three, he began to think his worrying over putting himself in danger was completely unfounded. When he lost track of the time, he was sure that Natori must have found it by now, and that he was silly for even attempting this. Even if he wished to help Natsume, there was nothing he could do that Natori or Nyanko-sensei couldn't do better.
Tanuma saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and his hair stood on end. He ducked out of reflex. A hollow rumbling in his ear alerted him that it was an ayakashi, though he couldn't identify any words. Crouched in the brush, his heart thudded loud enough to drown out the voice. Minutes passed, but the creature made no move in his direction. Tanuma cautiously peeked through the bushes. It was actually two youkai sitting together. He was surprised by the clarity in which he could see them, able to make out their separate limbs as they motioned in conversation.
Whether they didn't notice him or didn't realize he could see them, the youkai didn't acknowledge his presence. Tanuma exhaled in relief and prepared to sneak away, when he caught sight of what the youkai were motioning to. Between them was a clump of pointed leaves and tiny, wilting flowers. One of the youkai raised its voice and stomped, inciting a similar response from the other. An argument? Tanuma thought warily.
In any case, what little he could see of the plant seemed to match Nyanko-sensei's description. He couldn't ignore it.
As he considered his options, the youkai stopped talking and turned towards Tanuma's hiding place. They drew closer slowly with their heads bobbing in the air. Did they smell him? Tanuma hugged the ground as closely and silently as he could, eyes darting for a solution. They landed on a thick, mossy branch. Just as the youkai bore down on him, he snatched it and tossed it across the ground into the leaves. At the sound, the youkai raised their heads in the direction of the disturbance.
At that moment, Tanuma burst from the bushes. The youkai stumbled in surprise, but by then he had already darted past them. He dove and uprooted the plant with a single, sweeping motion. The leaves buried into his skin when his hand closed over them as if he had just grabbed a sea-urchin. He gasped in pain, but kicked off the ground in a full sprint. The youkai finally realized what had just happened and gave chase.
That was as far as his improvised plan went. Tanuma took up his best pace, but he couldn't find a decent path to run on. The underbrush tripped up his feet and clung to his clothes, all the while allowing the youkai to get closer and closer to his heels. He looked back, unable to focus enough to get a good look at his pursuers. He turned his eyes back to the front just in time to see the ground dip sharply downwards. Tanuma backpedalled hard, but momentum forced him forwards and his foot slipped on the dead leaves. The world spun as he tumbled down the hill. He pulled his arms and legs as each roll smashed him against solid ground.
Just as suddenly, his body settled at the base of the steep hill. He hardly dared to move, but forced himself dizzily to his hands and knees. One hand was bloodied where he had crushed the razor-sharp plant tightly during the fall. He ached all over and knew there would be bruises, but he didn't think anything was broken.
Remembering his situation, he touched his face to find that the glasses had fallen off. He found them on the ground a short distance away, and put them back on just in time to get a good look at the two youkai looming over him.
Just as they reached him, Tanuma felt a strong force hit his side and slip under him. Unbalanced, he grabbed at anything he could, which felt like a clump of fur. He held on for dear life as he suddenly ascended through the whipping branches and into open air.
"Is it…Myanki-sensei?" He exclaimed. The creature grumbled under him and Tanuma relaxed. The other youkai disappeared from view as they cut through the wind overhead. He shifted to a more comfortable position, but still grasped the fur white-knuckled with his free hand. "I guess I ended up taking a risk again," he admitted quietly. "Sorry…can you not tell Natsume about this?"
The youkai snorted. "Humans seem to enjoy keeping secrets from each other," he observed.
Tanuma rested his head between Nyanko-sensei's shoulders, gazing through the transparent body at the trees moving below. The feeling was incredible, if not terrifying. "I'm sorry. I don't want to trouble Natsume by interfering, but…I wish he would trouble me more. I must really be bothering him, acting like this…" He trailed off.
The youkai didn't reply.
They landed a short time later. Tanuma nearly tripped dismounting, feeling a little light-headed after the ride. He rushed inside with Nyanko-sensei transforming and following after. Natori and the others were nowhere in sight when he entered his room.
Natsume laid unnaturally still on the futon. The room was completely silent, save for the whisper of fabric as Tanuma settled next to him. Only the gentle rise and fall of his chest, or a flutter of his eyelashes signaled any life in him. Tanuma peppered the flowers over Natsume's slightly parted lips and waited. The boy didn't rouse. Several moments passed with no reaction, and Tanuma's pulse quickened with creeping anxiety.
"Hm. It's too dry. The smell isn't strong enough," Nyanko-sensei observed. "You can try chewing it, if you're up to it. A little extra blood wouldn't hurt either."
Tanuma paused before gathering up the prickly flowers and slipping them into his mouth. He winced. The needlelike petals pierced his tongue and gums as he ground them with his teeth. The sweet, earthy taste mixed with copper and stung badly. He pressed on, however, as he looked down on Natsume's passive face. You'll have a worried expression again because of me. I wanted to help you, but if you knew about it, it probably wouldn't make you happy. With tentative fingers, he brushed away the hair on Natsume's forehead before resting his palm on it. The skin was feverish. Sorry, Natsume. Even if you get upset, if it means being near you, then, he bent low over him, just let me be a little selfish, okay?
Their lips touched in a chaste kiss. Tanuma lingered feather-light over Natsume until the smaller boy stirred. Tanuma straightened quickly. "You didn't have to do that," Nyanko-sensei commented. Color dusted Tanuma's face as he coughed lightly and spat out the mass of plant matter. As he did, Natsume lurched upwards and gagged. Tanuma clearly saw the ayakashi pop out the unconscious boy's mouth. It was round, pinkish creature with beady eyes. It bounced once like putty on Natsume's chest before Nyanko-sensei lunged. His maneki-neko form dissolved in a gale, leaving a white shadow that filled the small room. The pink ayakashi didn't have a chance to react before it was snapped up and disappeared within the white. "Yuck," A deep voice grumbled.
Natsume settled back down into the futon, coughing. Tanuma called to him quietly, "Natsume?"
Natsume's eyes opened a fraction, "Who…Tanu…ma?" He blinked several times. Focusing slowly, he stared at Tanuma blankly.
Tanuma frowned. What's that look? He worried. Does he see the blood on my mouth? The bruises? Or…did he notice- Natsume reached up and touched his cheek suddenly, freezing the taller boy in place. He stroked Tanuma's face gingerly from where he lay, still looking up at him from under strands of hair that stuck to damp skin. The tips of his fingers were warm as they brushed across soft flesh. The sensation raised the hairs on the back of Tanuma's neck. Tanuma swallowed. "Natsume…?"
Natsume's eyes widened in recognition. "Wah!" He jumped suddenly, causing Tanuma to cry out in alarm and fall backwards.
"N-Natsume?"
"Tanuma!" Natsume rubbed his eyes. His cheeks flushed, more obvious on his still sickly complexion. "S-Sorry! It's just- I've never seen you…you're wearing glasses!" he babbled.
"O-Oh," Tanuma touched the frames self-consciously. "Natori-san lent them to me. More importantly, are you okay?"
"I think so," Natsume touched his forehead, then raised his gaze above Tanuma's head. "Sensei…"
The forgotten youkai shoved Tanuma aside rudely with a bulky shoulder. Natsume flattened back into the futon under a hazy, white paw. "Are you happy? Everyone wasted a whole day looking for that stupid plant, and what did you learn? Nothing! You'll do the same reckless stuff next time!"The large creature complained.
"Sen-Sensei, stop! You're too heavy!" Natsume wriggled, "I'm sorry, so stop!"
Nyanko-sensei backed off before Natsume's fist could connect with his nose, and poofed back into his more compact form. "Hmph, good. You can thank me with taiyaki. But you should also thank your little friend. He's the one who found what we needed to help you."
"Tanuma did?" Natsume finally got a clear look at his companion, and his face fell. Tanuma had curled his hand in his sleeve to hide where the flower had shredded his palm, but something else must have raised Natsume's suspicions. The smaller boy still smiled, "Thank you." Before Tanuma could speak, Natsume asked the cat, "Where's Natori-san?"
"Still out searching. He's more incompetent than I gave him credit for," Nyanko-sensei replied.
"We should go find him," Natsume said, standing.
"Are you sure you should be moving around?" Tanuma fretted.
"It's okay," Natsume replied with another smile. "I feel fine now. So don't worry."
Tanuma's body relaxed in defeat. "O-Okay," he said, following Natsume out of the house quietly. In the yard, Natsume walked a few steps ahead of him without speaking. Tanuma's chest ached. He had done it again, making things more difficult for Natsume. "Natsume, I-"
Natsume snatched something off the ground suddenly and straightened. Tanuma watched his back as he fumbled with something, before a familiar whistle pierced the silence. "It scares me a lot," Natsume said quietly, "that something might happen to you or Taki or the Fujiwaras because of me. It scares me so much, I…" He trailed off. Neither of them spoke for several moments. Tanuma braced himself, an apology waiting on the tip of his tongue when Natsume spoke again. "I don't…regret it, though," he turned to Tanuma. "I don't regret telling you that I can see ayakashi, I mean. I didn't mean to make you think I did. I'm sorry, I know it's really selfish, but…I'm really glad you're here, Tanuma."
Natsume… Tanuma couldn't always tell when Natsume was only speaking to make him feel better, but these words sounded sincere. Heat rose in his face and he felt a bit embarrassed that Natsume could speak so earnestly. He suddenly cursed his own awkward social skills. Though he couldn't quite bring himself to speak so honestly, he could at least smile and reply, "I'm glad you're here, too, Natsume."
~Fin, Owari, End~