Title: Crossing the Line
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Characters: Tanuma, Natsume Takashi, Nyanko-sensei
Rating: PG
Words: (+/-) 764
Summary: Tanuma and Nyanko-sensei have a talk about Natsume. Misunderstands occur.

Tanuma nervously fiddled with the tea cup in his hands as he looked anywhere that wasn't the talking cat across from him. It wasn't because it was a talking cat that he was trying to avoid it. Rather, the cat was glaring at him in a frightening, I want you dead kind of way. It was unsettling even if he didn't know how linguistic the cat happened be.

When he finally had enough of being stared at, he spoke up. "Is there something you need to say to me?" It wouldn't be good for Natsume to come back and get caught up in their argument, so it would be best to get it over with - since it looked like the cat wasn't going to back down anytime soon. If it wasn't for Natsume, he would have excused himself by now, because Ponta, the great glaring cat, was making him all kinds of uncomfortable.

"You smell too much like Natsume lately," the cat said blatantly - and maybe a little too bluntly, because Tanuma turned red faster than he cared to admit. It wasn't every day a cat flat-out told him something like that, and it added a little too much fodder to his newly developed imagination as well. "Uh-huh," the cat remarked after taking in his blush, "I'm guessing it wasn't as innocent as I thought, then. What are your intentions, kid?"

He wasn't sure he understood what the cat was implying, but it was clear the talking cat had misunderstood. While he didn't mind considering intimacy with someone he liked and enjoyed spending time with, it seemed the cat was assuming he had already crossed that line with Natsume - which he certainly had not. "My intention is to remain by Natsume's side. Is that so wrong?" And again, he wasn't sure why he didn't correct the misunderstanding, but the cat had sounded challenging and - well, Tanuma didn't like to back down from such challenges.

"It is if you hurt him in any way," the cat that wasn't too happy at the moment stated blandly, "and I will be paying close attention to you." Then the cat stopped glaring and rested its head on its front paws, content. "Though, admittedly, you're better than that pretty boy Natori. He bothers me. And he stinks."

"Are you sure you just don't like me because I smell a lot more like Natsume lately?" joked Tanuma - or tried to, anyway. It failed miserably, and the cat was back to glaring. "I was kidding. I haven't so much as hugged Natsume."

"What are you waiting for then, idiot?" The cat actually rolled its eyes. "An invitation or something? Natsume's dense. Just grab him and kiss him. Get it over with before I puke. Stupid human pheromones are everywhere and they're driving me crazy!"

"I'm confused. Do you want me to be with Natsume, or don't you?"

The cat shrugged in that lazy manner that cats tended to stretch their bodies out with. "I'll reserve that judgment for later. Right now, I simply want you to do something about the brat's sexual frustration because his dreams are getting repetitive and boring."

After that, Tanuma had quite a few questions he wanted to ask, but he decided against prying. Some things were better left unexplained. "Er, so let me get this straight. You're using me? Am I even the one Natsume wants …" he trailed off, not sure how to say what he wanted to say.

"You are stupid. Perfect, you'll be on the same intellectual level as Natsume. Enjoy yourselves!" The cat sauntered out of the room as Natsume entered, looking confused.

"What was all that about?" Natsume wondered as he took a seat with his fresh pot of tea to be shared.

It would have been easy to reach over, place a hand on the back of Natsume's neck, and align his lips over the other's, but - "It was nothing." Tanuma still wasn't ready to cross that line and it showed by how red his cheeks became after just thinking about it.

"All right," Natsume dismissed, "but let me know if Nyanko-sensei is telling you anything weird. He does that sometimes. On purpose. Just to annoy me." Tanuma turned even redder, but Natsume chose not to comment. "Would you like some more tea?"

Since that was a safe line of thought, Tanuma held out his cup. "Yes please."

There would always be a next time to rise to the challenge he had been presented with. After some careful thought on the matter.