EXODUS

Chapter Fifteen: Normal is Overrated

A/N: Sorry for the delay, somehow, I have problems logging in. Anyway, Stay tuned cause after this, it's going to be action packed. I did mention that this story is a younger, longer version of my other story Into You, I Go right? So there are similarities between the two stories

The first part, I wrote while listening to Angela Aki's You Love Song...which is just...lovely...I love her voice!

------------------------------------------

Natsume never felt particularly blood thirsty though he would be the first to admit that he was no pacifist. It had nothing to do with what he did for a living and more about how he was. He didn't have the blood thirst that some of the dangerous ability seems to develop over the years and Kami-sama knows that he was prone to violent outburst when his temper spiked but other than that, as long as there was no threat to him and his, under the circumstance, he considered himself pretty easy going.

Most of the time.

But when an all too familiar voice that had no right to be so cheerful chirped in his ear, he felt a sudden violent impulse to hurt somebody.

Punishment be damned.

The only thing that saved the person from heinous pain was the sole fact that it was familiar, though that fact did not lessen the pounding headache pulsing behind his aching and tired eyes.

Natsume hated nothing more to be woken up from a good, restful sleep, rare that it was.

As a result, a grumpy hand slid out of the covers and without so much as a by your leave, shoved the person that was sitting at the edge of his bedside, the small, petty side of him gave a grunt of satisfaction when he heard the offended –eep- and the heavy thump that followed before drifting off again.

He grumbled when something poked at his ribs and curled his body inside the warm protection of his thick blanket to derive the enemy of a larger area to attack but huffed out an aggravated breath when that only seem to provoke his opposition to apply a much more persistent method aka 'jump on the bed with excessive movements' which through experience, Natsume knew could go on and on and on.

Exhausted, pissed off and annoyed as he was, he couldn't help the small upward twitch of his lips at the whole normality of it.

When his opponent decided to deafen him, make him nauseous and through repetitive motion throw him off the bed, he decided, enough was enough. With a small motion of his feet, he tangled her jumping feet with the blankets, resulting in a surprise screech as she lost her balanced but it was with a small laugh that she dug her elbows on his ribs when he miraculously caught and tangled her inside the cocoon of his blanket alongside with him.

Bright amber eyes narrowed at the way his arms snaked around her but she appreciated the warmth they presented in the unnaturally cool summer morning. She pulled on the edges of his raven hair. "You're going to be late."

Natsume merely nuzzled the crook of her neck, breathing deep like she was a big, fluffy, teddy bear. For a guy that likes his privacy and personal space, he never did learn to respect others, especially mine, Mikan thought.

She moved her left shoulder, jostling Natsume's cheek. "Hey, come on. Wake up."

A fake light snore erupted from Natsume and Mikan had to stifle a grin. She twisted her upper body to move but he held fast. "Natsume-kun. Wake up. We have class."

"It's still early."

"We're having breakfast."

"How long does it take it slap on a sandwich?" He mumbled against her collar.

"I think we need more than a sandwich." When Natsume still didn't budge, she pinched his arm but he didn't even flinch. "Natsume, they're gonna be here any minute now."

His brow wrinkled. "They?"

She felt his body tense and she winced inwardly, she knew he wasn't going like it. "Everyone wanted to know how you were. They were worried."

Natsume could actually feel anxious vibes flowing from her as her little fingers fluttered on his arms. The anxiety was there in her eyes, but the set of her jaw was as stubborn as ever.

Her eyes met him straight on and he still couldn't get over the fact at how clear they were, how he couldn't see even a shadow of doubt, a flicker of fear or distrust.

As a person, as a friend, he felt gratified.

As someone who'd been in love with her for more years than he'd like to admit, he felt pleased.

As someone who saw and did his share of the unspeakable, he felt a somewhat sweet disbelief, humbled by her trust.

As a hot blooded boy, he felt a little bit insulted by how unguarded she was with him.

When Natsume merely stared at her with those intense eyes of his, her heart fluttered to life. There was always something about his eyes that touched her. "Are you angry?"

The question conveyed in a sweet, little voice and her big amber eyes did nothing for the awareness that suddenly simmered inside of Natsume, as always when with her, divided between being a friend and a boy.

Between being the protector and the hunter.

His crafty mind already figured out a way to give him what he wanted.

He settled his face into careful lines. "No."

She frowned, a hint of vulnerability peeked through her eyes. Although she wasn't the type to always succumb to demands and to give up without a fight, she hated fighting against her friends and for reasons she couldn't really explain, it hurt more than she can bear when it was Natsume she was fighting with. "You are."

A part of him hated to use her character against her, but really, another part of him enjoyed it, liking how she cared enough that he is able to use it against her. Twisted and perverse, yes, but it doesn't make it less true. "I'm not."

She sat up and threw the covers off of her and he just realized that she had her hair down, it slid down her shoulder towards her back, its edges curled around her arms. He squinted against the light and waited for his eyes to adjust before propping up on his elbow. "I'm not."

His sneaky plan, the game and all his thoughts disappeared under the serious weight of her eyes when she gazed down at him. "They need to see that you're okay. And you need to see them so you'll feel okay."

There she goes, he thought, she can make you deaf with talks about flowers and cookies and when you think you got her pegged, she surprises you with saying things like that.

"You're right."

Expecting a disagreement, she blinked. "I am?"

Natsume faced her, his head propped on a fist, a look of amusement in his eyes at her surprise. "There's always a first time for everything." When she pouted at him, the look deepen then changed into simple bafflement when a simple smile of understanding appeared on her face.

There were moments, moments where Natsume would feel as though there couldn't possibly be any other time when he'd feel happier, sadder, more scared or more grateful for what he had or what he'd experienced.

This time, this exact second, Natsume never felt so full with what he'd come to learn as love that his chest ached with it and the fear that he felt last night returned because he also never felt more vulnerable or more unprotected that the fighter inside him warred against it and lost.

Scientists say that love is mere chemistry, but even they couldn't explain the lengths in which people would go just to have a mere glimpse of it.

And as logical as he was, Natsume couldn't really rationalize that what he felt was just a reaction of chemistry or hormones. He felt something inside him reached out towards her like an invisible hand and he didn't know whether it was because she felt the pull or because she felt he needed it that she tilted her head down.

It felt like a dream and there was no anxiety, nerves or any constricting thoughts. It needed no effort, no force or calculations.

When she touched her lips to his it felt as if it has always been and always were.

Their lips barely met, barely moved before their breaths mingled in a sigh.

It was not a kiss; it was something less and more.

Eyes closed, their foreheads met and without plan, both of them moved their faces to the side, grazed their cheeks together and rested their heads on each others shoulder in a gesture as sweet as it was meaningful.

It said that, 'yes, we're okay'.

We are alright.

They stayed in that position until Mikan finally remembered why she was there in the first place and renewed her efforts but Natsume merely pushed her away and played dead under the covers.

----------------------------------------

Natsume's stomach was in knots when the whole pack settled inside his room. It didn't help that they appeared when he was in the midst of a heated tug of war over his blankets with Mikan and that he was still only in his pajama bottoms.

His sharp eyes tried to catch and discern any type of emotion that showed in their faces.

They were shaking.

But to Natsume consternation and relief, they were shaking not because of disgust or fear but from restrained laughter.

Relieved though he was, he still objected to be laughed at, especially since he saw nothing to be laughed at…but himself.

"What?"

It was Ruka who grinned at him. "I've heard of bed hair but that is ridiculous."

This trembling comment was met with a burst of laughter and the group reached out, holding each other up, tried not to collapse over the force of their laughter. Natsume, confused, caught his reflection on the stem of the metallic lamp beside his bed and froze.

His raven locks were mussed, tangled and parted in three different tufts but that wasn't what caught his attention, it was the three rainbow colored glittery ribbons that was tied to the longer hair on the back of his head that did it.

He turned, ever so slowly to look at the only possible culprit who merely stared guilelessly back at him.

"I especially like the red one, Natsume-kun."

The others choked since Natsume's eyes were gleaming, and not because of Hotaru's camera blitz either. The sentence created a series of winces, groans and murmurs that ran along the lines of 'oh, she did not just say that'.

Luckily, Natsume's eyes were all for Mikan whom showed know guilt or fear whatsoever, instead, she smiled on. To add insult over injury and before Natsume decided on what to do to her, she batted her eyelashes. "It matches your eyes."

To the pack, both of them looked like a blur of color when Mikan whooped and ran for her life the second Natsume made a grab for her. They craned their heads when Natsume and Mikan ran into the bathroom, at the sound of muffled laughter, screeches and sounds of grappling, they looked at each other, shrugged and parted to their favorite corners of the room.

They looked up from whatever they were doing at the sound of a cackle, the sound of the shower turned on and the howl of fury that followed.

"Dammit, ojou. That's cold."

"Oh, boo hoo, Natsume."

Mikan stepped out of the bathroom and with a smug look on her impish face she announced that Natsume's taking a shower.

It was as if nothing happened, if one ignored Koko's black eye and the sling around his shoulder that is, not to mention the sullen look on his face. He looked as if he wanted to say something but every time he opened his mouth, he flinched as if someone kicked him under the table, Natsume bet it was Yuu since Hotaru, who sat on Koko's left wouldn't bother with something so subtle.

Natsume, as always, prefers to just get on with it. Band-aid approach.

"He already has a broken arm, no need to add a broken leg to his list."

Koko and Yuu, who have been exchanging warning and moody glances, started.

Natsume put his napkin on the table and just like that, conversation ceased. "How's your arm?"

Koko shrugged with his good shoulder. "Healing." And although it took a lot of effort on his part, Koko's eyes met Natsume's. "I'm sorry."

Surprised but cautious, Natsume his time drinking his juice. "For what?"

Koko's eyes shifted to Mikan who scowled back at the mind reader, clearly a sore topic for her, but Koko's usually bland eyes shifted to Natsume. "Because he got to Mikan."

Natsume met Mikan's eyes who rolled hers and said. "For the last time, Koko. It's not your fault."

"I'm sure you tried your best." Yuu assured the mind reader but Koko ignored them and only looked at Natsume.

"Iinchiro's right. It's not your fault." Natsume sat back and lifted a hand when Koko's expression turned mutinous. "It's her fault."

Mikan jerked her head at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Apology accepted."

Koko almost smiled at the poor attempt of humor and the affronted look on Mikan's face.

"Natsume-kun. How is it my fault?"

Natsume gave her an 'oh, please' look. "If you were more vigilant like I told you, you could've nullified the transporter Alice and you would've never got caught."

Since she couldn't find any rebuttal for that, she settled for crossing her arms and pout.

Natsume laced his fingers together and shot a look to Koko who immediately sat up on his seat. "If I do want to blame you for something, I would blame you for fighting him."

The overall stunned reaction was expected. "But Natsume-"

"I told you all before and I'll tell you again. If they catch you, do not fight. Do not play hero. For them a resisting Alice is better off dead, do you hear me?"

"You can't just expect us to-"

"Yes, I can and I will." He shot them looks, except for Hotaru who was munching calmly on her crab salad. "To them, you are a merchandise, goods, tools. A bad merchandise is either thrown over or recycled. If you look like too much of a bother, they will kill you."

"What good am I if I can't even protect my friends?"

"What good are you when you end up dead?" Natsume threw back, ignoring the wince on Yuu's, Anna's and Nonoko's face.

"If I don't protect them, who will?"

"I will." Natsume sat back again. "That's why I'm here. It's my job."

"Why can't it be mine?"

"Because you weren't train for it."

He knew he stepped into a trapped when Koko's eyes gleamed. Sneaky bastard. "So, if I'm saying I want to train, you'll do it?"

"Do what?"

"Train me."

Except for Natsume and Hotaru, everybody else jumped at the sudden noise.

Someone banged on the table.

It was Mikan.

Everybody stared at her. "I think we're all full, aren't we?"

"I'm not." But Hotaru was cheerfully ignored as she hustled them away from the table with smiles and cheerful gestures. "Natsume after all needs his beauty rest."

Anna frowned when Mikan ushered her from the kitchen. "I think it's beauty sleep."

"I don't need beauty anything. And I thought we have class.."

"I'm sure the teachers won't mind you sleep in considering what happened yesterday."

Mochu snorted. "Why should they? They've never minded before."

"Come on, guys. Chop chop."

Koko fought against her shoving. "But Mikan-"

The bright and cheerful tone of her voice turned low and threatening as she stared at him from over his shoulder. "Stay here and you'll end up doing the dishes."

Koko shut his mouth.

"Hey, look at the time-"

"Got some cookies in the oven."

"I think I have a meeting…somewhere."

"It's my shift at the stables."

"I just don't want to do the dishes."

Hotaru didn't even bother to offer up an excuse, didn't think she had to anyway and was the first to march out the door.

Natsume merely stared in amusement as they shuffled their feet, all smiles and good cheer towards the door with Mikan pushing them out. Too late, he realized that she was also following them out and as he stood there staring at the mayhem of his kitchen table, he cursed her bouncing ponytails. "Can't believe I fell for it."

"Mikan! Ow." Koko batted the hand that was pulling on his ear. But she merely huffed and glared at the mind reader. "I told you not to talk about it, didn't I? I told you not to push it."

Koko rubbed on his ear and sulked. "I didn't promise I would now, didn't I?"

"Then promise me now that you won't bother him about this." Her amber eyes shifted to all of her friends faces. "All of you."

Yuu shuffled his feet. "Well,"

"No. No, well's, or if's or..or's. Promise me."

When they only stared at her, she frowned at them and tried to look at least 2/3 as intimidating as Natsume but only succeeded to look like an enraged chipmunk. When their lips quirk into a smile, she gave up.

"He's already so busy and he rarely has time for himself. Between school and missions, and trainings and whatever else they have him doing, he doesn't have time to train us." Mikan bit her lip, her eyes big and pleading. "And I don't want him, too."

Koko wrinkled his brow. "Why not? If he train us we would be able to help…"

Mikan sighed, her face contorted with trying to explain. Helpless, she slid her gaze to someone who knows her and to someone who knows Natsume.

Ruka nodded to her. "Koko, you should know of all people, how he feels. All of you know, especially after yesterday, the things he has to deal with, the things he has to do. He doesn't want us to be anywhere near that, he already feels like he's endangering us just by being our friend. He's always been like that. He doesn't need our help. He certainly doesn't want it."

Mikan caught the underlining bitterness and opened her mouth to comfort but Hotaru beat her to it. "How can you help?"

Or not.

Ruka's blue eyes shifted to Hotaru. "What?"

Hotaru's cool violet eyes eyed them one by one; calm, collected. "How can you help? If it's a matter of training or knowing how to defend yourself you don't need Natsume, just take a few after school martial arts class."

Koko blinked. "That's not the point-"

"That's precisely the point, at least it's Mikan's, isn't it?" Hotaru who stood a couple of distance from them, stepped closer. "He couldn't do any better than the instructors, really." She continued before they can cut her off. "Except for the killing part."

Hotaru tilted her head, as if she was asking something ordinary, casual. "Unless, of course, that's what you want to learn. Is it?"

"Of course not-"

"Then you should just stick with the instructors because the only thing that he can teach you is how to kill, how to neutralize the enemy as fast and as ruthless as you can because that is what he does. Are you guys ready to kill?"

"This is not about-." Yuu fiddled with his glasses. "He always had to protect us, even from the academy, and he's still protecting us. Isn't it about time we do our share?"

In the silence of that question, Mikan faced her friends, her honey colored hair fluttered in the wind, her young face, serious. "Natsume needs to protect us. We are his family, his friends. In here, we are all that he has, the reason why he is here at all. It's what keeps him fighting, keeps him from not caring whether he would come home or not." Mikan stared out of her big amber eyes. "Protecting us gives him purpose. It makes him feel useful. Do you really want to take that away from him?"

Ruka's shoulder slumped, as well as the others. "But, we want to help."

"Then just be here for him. Greet him every time he comes home. If we are happy and safe, he will also feel happy and safe. That's how he works. That's how he is. You of all people know that, Ruka-pyon."

Ruka's blue eyes warmed at the old nickname. "It's hard."

She smiled at him and at the others. "Yes, it's hard." She touched his hand and looked at the others. "But when you care about someone, you try. Especially when it's hard, don't you think?"

Hotaru smiled while the others blinked at the unexpected wisdom..

Koko met Mikan's eyes. "Yes, we do."

A couple seconds ticked by as they walked towards each other's room to prepare for class before Koko piped up. "You do realize that we just left Natsume with the dirty dishes, right?"

The room occupants that were still asleep behind their closed doors woke up with a start when giggles erupted in the hallways.