"You know, you were very creepy when we met."
Natsume is finally able to touch Matoba's cursed eye.
Matoba blinks over to Natsume. The blond averts his eyes, but he has already been caught staring. It's no use hiding his thoughts; Matoba would persist on why he was being observed.
"You know, you were very creepy when we met."
The exorcist laughs, not expecting this to be brought up. There is never going to be a time in which their first meeting would be forgotten. "There's no way I can take that back, Natsume."
Natsume furrows his brows. That isn't exactly what he meant to imply. He waits for the man to collect himself. "Not just the first time; I mean when you were persistent." Raising amber eyes, he lays them on one red and one bandaged. "... can I touch it?"
This is a strange day.
Matoba laughs once more before shifting closer. "You're not going to snatch it, are you?"
"That is a bad joke." Natsume scrunches his face and frowns at Matoba's distasteful joke.
It is easy to distinguish a missing eye, yet there has been times when the clan head had mistaken the figure. Sometimes he is a little too enthusiastic. (It has been a while since they have seen the other. He couldn't help but approach spiritedly.) Sometimes he is tired. (It's not uncommon that he appears in the back gardens. Matoba welcomed him with a lazy wave of a hand.) Sometimes the person's right eye is covered and it is hard to determine. (Purely an accident. He was helping with some chores.) He has to rely on aura rather than physical presence.
With an apologetic smile, Matoba shut his eyes and hums, lifting the eyepatch.
Hesitant from both the approval and the exorcist's calm demeanor, Natsume slowly raises his hand to the raised patch. The tips of his fingers first brush on the upper cheek before sliding further beneath. A shiver runs down his arm when feeling a few raised scars. (Circular from dug in claws, lines from swiping.) Further, around the outer corner, is a thicker bulge of skin. Natsume pulls in his bottom lip, daring to gently pass his digits over the eyelid. Thin skin, raised scars... but intact.
Pausing, drawing in soft breaths, he lets the marred skin sink into memory of his mind and touch. Carefully, a thumb brushes over the eyelid. Natsume's eyes flutter and look to Matoba's exposed eye. It's still closed.
It's too dangerous to expose the cursed eye. Especially since the youkai hasn't appeared yet.
The hand retreats from under the eyepatch before brushing and holding aside the long side fringe. Leaning closer, Natsume gently places his lips on the circle of the protection seal.
He hears an intake of breath and a small tug on his sleeve.
This is Matoba's vulnerability.