"Well, well. Natsume, we really should stop finding each other like this, don't you think?" Matoba smirked and lightly swung Natsume's bag back and forth.
"Matoba..." Natsume took a step back. His natural instinct would be to run away, but he couldn't. Not when the book of friends was so close to being discovered. His hand made a swipe at it, but failed when Matoba simply held it out of reach.
"It seems like you still don't trust me, Natsume. I was hoping you'd find me a little less hostile, considering I just saved you from a greatly feared ayakashi." His eyes slowly looked over Natsume, noticing all the scratches on his hands and face. Not to mention the dirt on his uniform. His smirk formed into a smile. "Why don't you come over to my branch house? You should take some time to heal and get your wounds checked."
"I'm not going anywhere with you, and you can't force me."
"Then I suppose you don't need your bag back?" Matoba questioned.
Natsume couldn't help it and let the fear show on his face. Matoba noticed this and tilted his head. "I wonder what is in here that could possibly be so precious to you?"
Natsume said the first thing that he could think of. "It-It's a...love letter." Once he said the words he instantly regretted them. Matoba laughed. Natsume wasn't sure he's ever heard Matoba laugh before. What did this mean?
"And just who were you going to give it to?" Matoba asked, clearly amused.
"Well, what makes you think I was giving it to anyone? Maybe someone gave it to me," Natsume countered.
"Ah, I didn't think you were much of a romantic." His smile fell. He held out Natsume's bag for him to take.
"I felt bad; throwing it away didn't seem very nice," Natsume said, adding onto his lie and taking his bag. He felt relieved.
Natsume took it back without looking Matoba in the eye. He'd had enough nonsense for today, but he couldn't go back to Touku and Shigeru looking like this. Maybe he could just sneak in through his window, but he remembered he'd locked it last night so no spirits would come in. And where was Nyanko-sensei?
"You realize you'll only worry them if you come back looking like that, I can see some bruises on your neck." It was as if Matoba had read his mind. He couldn't come home. He'd never been this badly injured and now the pain was starting to get to him. His hands balled into fists of frustration.
"It can't be worse than practically being forced to join the Matoba clan," Natsume argued.
Matoba crossed his arms. "I won't mention anything about my desire for you to join. I just want you to rest, no matter how hard that may be to believe."
Natsume scoffed and took a step back. "That is hard to believe", Natsume stated. "I'd prefer to not risk appearing on a missing children's case."
Suddenly a strong burst of wind came and pushed Natsume forward. Natsume fell, but Matoba caught him before he could hit the ground.
"Matoba!" yelled a strong and familiar voice. Madara, Natsume thought, finally.
Motoba held on tighter to Natsume. "Let me go!" Natsume struggled to push him away, or to at least turn around so that he wasn't facing Matoba. This was kind of...
"That's not very nice, Natsume," he stated. The man was smirking down at him.
"You had better let go of my prey, or I won't show mercy, Matoba," Madara stated fiercely.
"I would hope so, kitty. Don't think I can't hold my own against you. Natsume most certainly did; against the spirit that was attacking him earlier. Too bad you weren't there to see it. Aren't you his protector? You're quite lousy at your job. But I guess you really are just like every other spirit."
Madara growled, and got into a pouncing form. "You-," he started, jumping into the air with infuriated eyes.
"Stop!" Natsume yelled, and Madara stopped abruptly, but not without making a confused expression.
"Matoba," Natsume looked up at him, "What can you tell me about that spirit?"
He loosened his hold on the boy. "A few things," he stated. "But not here, Natsume."
Natsume stared a little longer at Matoba. He worried that he'd have to go through a bit of what he went through last time he was stuck at one of Matoba's branch houses, trying to escape and sneaking around, but what other choice did he have? He couldn't go home, or he could go home with injures showing, which he didn't want to happen. He could hide them, but then where would he find out about this spirit?
"Will you let me go back home?" he questioned honestly.
"Of course," Matoba stated calmly. His eye didn't look away from Natsume, but he let go of him. Natsume didn't try to run, even though he could. He didn't feel a need to.
"Madara," he called, "You should change back into your normal form."
"What?" Madara seemed infuriated. He hesitated, and stared at Natsume in disbelief. He glanced at Matoba, and looked back at his prey. Natsume wasn't kidding. He seemed to mouth, 'trust me'.
Finally, he complied with an exasperated growl. There a small little poof of smoke and he was back into a pudgy cat. Natsume was relieved, but tried not to show it while he was in front of Matoba.
"Shall we go?" Matoba said with a small smile. Natsume nodded slowly, a little in shock of his own actions. He was actually going with Matoba willingly. He looked over at Madara, who stared at him with what seemed like utter seriousness. He jumped into Natsume's arms, forcing him to carry him as a slight punishment (which they both knew was just a façade to cover his guilt of not being there earlier to help Natsume).
They walked in silence, the only sounds being the crunching of leaves fallen earlier from the trees. Matoba seemed to know exactly where he was going, because in no time they reached the edge of the forest. They stepped out from under the shade of the trees and saw a black car waiting for them on the side of the road.
Natsume got in, finding it odd that Matoba was alone in these woods. He would have expected his Shiki to be around, at least, or other exorcists. Maybe they were; Natsume didn't care about it as much as he wanted to find out about Hiso.
"It seems like he has a slight grudge against you," Matoba says as they start to pick up speed.
'I wouldn't call it slight', Natsume thinks. "It's something to do with my grandmother," he mumbles. He pretends to be looking out the window, but keeps Matoba in his field of vision just enough to see him slightly shift in the leather seat.
"We could offer you protection, Natsume, we-"
"I thought you said you just wanted my injuries to be checked," Natsume cuts him off with slight annoyance.
"I do, but do you honestly think that was just a one-time thing? It's going to come again, and that will most likely happen at your home," Matoba states with seriousness laced in his voice.
Natsume stiffens. "Just stop, please," he requests, thinking that he shouldn't have to. He could feel Matoba staring at him, and turned more to make himself smaller. He watched as the forest trees rushed past them, wanting to be somewhere else. He felt Madara adjust himself comfortably on his lap. What if that spirit hurt the Fujiwara's? Everyone you have loved...I'll kill them...
Hiso's words played in his head and he desperately tried to think of something else. The rest of the drive was quiet, and Natsume secretly wished it wasn't. When they finally arrived he was glad to get out of that car. He watched it drive away, hoping his worries were going with it.
