Hey, you guys! I finished this like earlier than previously! Hooray! And I just want to thank everyone who was reviewing and favoriting and everything because I probably wouldn't have written this much without you guys! So please enjoy chapter 21!

"How romantic," Momoka said. Natsume wasn't thinking. He hadn't been thinking. They were holding hands alone in a hotel room. Of course something like that would be considered romantic. Of course it would. It had probably made Natori uncomfortable but he was too polite and too good at hiding his emotions to show it.

God, what had he been thinking? Feel free to reference the former paragraph for the answer.

"Natsume," he heard Natori say.

Natsume looked up at Natori but couldn't meet his eyes so instead he just looked at Natori's shoulder.

"It's alright. So what if it seemed that way? Momoka was just making a joke," Natori said gently.

A joke? Yeah, right. Natori didn't know about his feelings. He didn't know that Momoka knew about his feelings. He didn't know that the youkai was trying to play matchmaker and help him "win the heart of his special someone."

But it was okay because to Natori it was a joke. It was just a joke.

Natsume nodded and tried to smile too. "Yeah," he said. "Momoka's silly like that."

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They both went to bed soon after that. Neither one of them really wanted to talk about it. It was just so weird.

Natsume had known he was being obvious. He knew that while the jumbled up mass of words flew carelessly from his mouth. But he just kept talking. He remembered thinking that he could save himself if he uttered this next thought. That these next couple of words would get him out of the hole that he'd been digging himself into. But each time he thought that the next thing that came out of his mouth would save him, it just dug him in deeper. Natsume had looked at Natori once during his longwinded speech and he did not like what he saw. Natori was staring at him with his jaw hanging slightly open and with a faint pink dusting his cheeks. It only fed his embarrassment which in turn fueled his rambling.

Natsume had never really been an apt liar. He used to think he was but maybe he was just never good at it to begin with. He almost always over-compensated. He never knew how to achieve that subtlety that would convey realism. He over did it. That's exactly what he did.

He couldn't bear to look at Natori. It was painfully awkward. Natori probably knows. Natsume could hope against hope that he doesn't know but he probably does.

That thought alone gave Natsume such a dreadful thrill that he couldn't decide if he should be anticipating disappointment or… maybe hope.

No, nothing could be hopeful about this situation. He wouldn't dare to think that there was even a glimmer of hope that Natori could perhaps return his impossible feelings. And after all, the thought that they had anything romantic between them was laughable. Natori had said so himself. He called it a joke.

Natsume probably would've agreed with him if he hadn't been so personally invested in the situation. But he was. So instead of making him laugh, it just made his heart sting.

And while Natsume was rather preoccupied with just today's events, Natori was preoccupied with a jumble of thoughts having to do with the events of today and those of the past.

Natori was very quickly going through all of his past experiences with Natsume to deduce if his theory of "maybe Natsume returns (at least in some small part) my feelings" can be supported by anything other than his deepest wishes.

He could remember at least seven separate times where Natsume blushed profusely at his teasing. Both of the "cute" comments come to mind immediately. You blush when someone you're crushing on teases you right? Sure. But blushes can also be an outward sign of embarrassment or anger. So can't really rely on blushes.

How about all of the times they've showed affection to each other? The holding hands? The hugs? The kisses? Okay, those were rather one-sided so they don't count. But still, it seemed like they couldn't go a day without… touching each other.

Well, maybe that was more on Natori. Maybe Natori couldn't go for more than a day without grabbing Natsume and forcing him into a hug or grabbing his hand. He had been the first one to initiate such contact. Maybe Natsume didn't like it. And if Natsume didn't like it then there was no way that Natsume would even consider harboring a crush on Natori.

And the hand-holding could also be blamed on Natori. He had started it and couldn't really think of one time where Natsume had just grabbed his hand. Well, Natsume did only just take his hand in his that night. Did that count? Maybe. It probably would've counted if Natori hadn't had this sudden urge to quash any faith he had in their relationship.

He wanted to be with Natsume. But he didn't want him to get hurt even more. And that's what happens with these kinds of relationships. People end up getting hurt because you care too much. You love too much and you end up getting hurt. You're not strong enough emotionally or physically and everything goes to hell.

::::::::::::::::::::

Meanwhile outside their window, Momoka was fuming. Soon after the two went to bed, Momoka flew out of the window so that her angry mumbling wouldn't wake Natsume up. She didn't really care about Natori right then.

"That was no joke! What had entered that human's head to think I was telling a joke? Love is no joke. Love is serious. A serious emotion! No joke! How dare crocodile smile human say it was a joke! Because it wasn't! Does crocodile smile human think Natsume-sama's feelings are jokes? How dare he! I will no longer help if stupid human thinks Natsume-sama's feelings are funny!"

She puffed up her feathers and worked herself into quite a tizzy when Madara came and sat on the window sill.

"Calm down," he drawled. "No one thinks anyone's feelings are silly. Natori just said something stupid and thoughtless that's all. It happens all the time."

"But that was the perfect time to assure Natsume of his love for him! Why didn't he take the opportunity!"

Nyanko-sensei rolled his eyes. "Because both of them are stupid and dense and neither one of them wants to get hurt. Or… let me rephrase that. Natori doesn't want either of them to get hurt and Natsume doesn't want to be a burden."

"So what does that mean?" asked the bird youkai.

"It means Natori won't admit to his feelings unless he's sure Natsume feels the same way and Natsume won't admit to his feelings unless the alternative would be even more troublesome for Natori or anyone else."

Momoka hummed in contemplation. "Then we must make Natori sure that Natsume feels the same way he does! It is the only way! I cannot think of a situation where there would be a more troublesome alternative to confessing your love. But if crocodile smile human were to confess his feelings to Natsume then Natsume would have to accept. Because not only would it make him happy but it will also make crocodile smile human happy!"

Momoka reinvigorated by her brilliance set off to plan what was surely to be a spectacular climax to a love story.

Nyanko-sensei on the other hand just sighed and shook his head.

"Troublesome birds are so much like troublesome humans," Nyanko-sensei said under his breath.

::::::::::::::::::::

Getting ready in the morning wasn't as awkward as Natori thought it would be. But it was still kind of awkward. Natsume wouldn't really look at him. He'd glance his way and smile and answer anything that Natori would say but he wouldn't look him in the eye. Maybe he still felt embarrassed about what Momoka said yesterday?

Endo had called him and said if they weren't down at the set in T-minus one minute that he was going to shove all kinds of camera equipment up Natori's ass so right now wasn't a very conducive time to talk about it.

But Natori couldn't really give two shits about what Endo wanted right then. Natsume came first.

"Natsume," Natori asked, "are you alright?"

Without looking at him, Natsume nodded.

Natori let out a sigh as quietly as he could. "Natsume, if there was anything you needed to talk about you know I'm right here."

Natsume looked at him. He looked him in the eye much the same way as how he looked at him last night. Natsume smiled. It was small but genuine.

"I know…" Natsume trailed off. Natori was too dazed by that look to answer. He didn't know how long they stood there in silence until finally Natsume said, "I'm sorry, Natori-san, if you're worried about me. But there's no need to be. If it was something pressing, like a youkai or something, I would've told you… but right now, I don't think I can talk about it yet… but… but I will. Eventually."

All Natori could do was nod dumbly until Endo gave him another call and assured that certain parts of his body would be ripped from the rest of his body if he wasn't down on set in fifteen seconds.

:::::::::::::::::

They got to set and Natsume was immediately whisked off to hair and makeup. It was still the ballroom scene and since Yukiko didn't have any stunts in the parts they were shooting today either, Natsume was once again left to being an extra which also meant he didn't have to put on any frilly fru-fru dresses.

As Mimi was getting him ready, she seemed a bit nervous like she was keeping a secret or there was something she was about to do and she was dreading it. But she seemed pleasant enough. They talked about average things like how their mornings went and so on.

Mimi even recounted how Hiroshi had turned off his alarm instead of putting it on sleep and that he had to scramble to shower, get dressed and get breakfast in under twenty minutes. It had made them both laugh.

But as Mimi was putting the last finishing touches on his hair, she grew very quiet and seemed to be working with great care. Natsume didn't want to throw off her concentration so he waited patiently and silently.

When she had given his hair one last good spray with the hair spray, she surveyed her work with a smile and said, "All done."

Natsume looked at the nearest mirror and almost did a double take because he almost didn't recognize himself. She had done something new with it. It was a lot more stylish. Mimi parted his hair not straight down the middle like he normally did but it was more to the side with most of his hair sweeping to that side. Some of his hair came off his head in little spikes.

Natsume had to turn his head and look a few times to make sure that it was really his hair.

Mimi chuckled. "It's not too edgy for you is it? I thought I'd try something new."

When Natsume turned to her and smiled and asked, "Why?" Mimi immediately turned her face away but not before Natsume caught a glimpse of her face going completely scarlet.

"Natsume-kun?" she asked after a pause, "I ,um... I don't mean to be rude but could I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Um, sure," Natsume said, "what did you want to ask?"

"W-well… are-are you and Natori-san… do you… I'm sorry if it feels like I'm prying and don't get the wrong idea. I'm very fond of you and-and no matter what we'll always be friends. And also know that I won't breathe a word of anything you might have to say on the matter. Um, you-you can trust me…" Mimi trailed off.

"Uh-huh?" Natsume said hoping that he'd prompted her to continue. He had no idea what Mimi was going to say until the words left her mouth.

"Natsume-kun… are you and Natori-san involved? Romantically, I mean."

He sure wasn't suspecting that.

:::::::::::::::::::

Momoka was thrilled. It was like she was on a top secret mission like on those silly human shows that play on that moving lighting picture box. She was on a top secret mission for love!

Momoka had stealthily and sneakily followed Natori and Natsume to their "set" or the place that they worked. It would be easy to spot an opportune moment to get Natori to figure out that Natsume was in love with him here. This is where they spent the majority of their time. Perhaps Natsume had some friends with which he could talk about his feelings. That also occurred on the picture box. Adolescent humans always seemed to have someone to confide in when they were feeling the beginnings of that beautiful emotion called love bloom inside their chests.

So if Momoka knew anything about the human world it would be that Natsume needed to talk to someone. Perhaps someone older and female. Human females seemed to know a lot more about emotions than human males do. At least according to the light up picture box.

So when Natsume was approached by a young human female and told to go with her for "hair and makeup", Momoka immediately saw her chance. This was the moment when Natsume would tell his wiser and older female friend about all of the emotions building up inside of him. He had to tell someone. It was not healthy for him to have all of that bottled up inside.

Momoka followed them and listened intently to their conversation. It had started out pleasantly enough. But then Momoka almost whooped with joy when the older female human asked about Natsume's feelings. This was just what she had been waiting for.

Wasting no time at all, Momoka quick scoured the set until she was able to locate Natori.

"Crocodile smile human! Come with me quickly!"

Momoka had happened upon the actor and the opportune time when the actor was taking a drink of his coffee. In his surprise to hear the voice of a youkai on set, he proceeded to choke on the coffee that he was swallowing and then spit out the rest of the coffee that was in his mouth.

He quickly looked at Momoka and then glanced around. When he seemed to be satisfied that no other human was around he turned back to Momoka and said, "What are you doing here?"

Momoka answered with the words that she had prepared in response to the predictable question that Natori had posed. "There's no time for that! Quickly you must come with me! It's Natsume!"

Apparently that was all prompting that Natori needed because then he was running to where Momoka had come from. Momoka had to work to keep up with him and she had to work double time to surpass him.

But she was able to get in front of him and stop him in front of Natsume's trailer. Then she shushed him and told him to listen.

Natori gave her a skeptical look and asked, "What?"

"Ssshh! Natsume and his older human female friend are talking about you!" she whispered harshly.

"You dragged me out here for that?" he hissed back.

"Don't you want to know how Natsume feels about you?"

That made Natori stop and consider. Momoka could see that the temptation was too great to pass up for a mere human and instead of fight it anymore, Natori instead leaned against the door and listened.

He heard a woman's voice, probably Mimi's, say, "... hope to even understand that… If that makes sense… I'm-I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense."

There was a pause and before Natori could be too confused about what they were talking about Natsume began to speak.

"It doesn't make sense… Sometimes, … he does… drive me crazy. We don't agree on some things that really matter to me. He's kind of annoying too… never imagine myself with him in … years…."

Natori was only able to pick up on certain words from the conversation but he got the gist of it. There was a longer pause. But frankly, that was all Natori had needed to hear. He pushed himself away from the door and was going to walk back to set when Momoka stopped him by saying, "Crocodile smile human! Where are you going?"

Natori didn't even bother turning around as he said, "I have work to do…" He trailed off. After a few more steps, he turned back around and with a small sad smile on his lips he said, "But… thanks. I guess I needed to hear that. I guess that's twice you've saved me from being really creepy around Natsume… So thanks."

Without another word, Natori walked away. Momoka not knowing what else to do fretted as she flew back and forth.

Of course those fragmented statements that they had heard did sound as if the speaker was talking out of disgust but that was far from the case. It wasn't disgust but rather confusion. Natsume was trying to work through his feelings.

Their conversation went more like this.

After Mimi had asked Natsume that unprecedented question there had been a long pause of sorts until finally Natsume asked, "Why this all of a sudden?"

Mimi immediately turned a bright shade of red as she tried to explain herself.

"Well, yesterday, when Hiroshi and I saw you together, we just thought that you two were awfully fond of each other. Wh-when I looked at you two yesterday, you reminded me of us, er Hiroshi and I, I mean, when we first started dating…"

Mimi took a breath and decided to let Natsume take in that information. It seemed as though it might have short circuited him.

Could he really not have seen it? That unadulterated adoration in Natori-san's eyes when he looks at him? Mimi thought.

She then started to think that maybe she had been mistaken. Natsume was a sharp boy. If he didn't notice then maybe she had seen something that wasn't there. But that couldn't have been true. Hiroshi saw it as well. They saw it yesterday at Natsume's birthday party and they saw it when Natsume went over to greet Natori on their way back to the hotel.

They couldn't have both just imagined it. There had to be something there.

But just to cover all the bases, Mimi decided to say, "I'm-I'm sorry, if that's too personal a question. I really didn't mean to cause you any unnecessary stress… I just… Hiroshi and I… we-we see the way you two look at each other. The way you two seem to connect on a whole different level than anyone else… It almost makes sense that you two should be attracted because no one can even hope to even understand that … If that makes sense… I'm-I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense."

After a pause, Natsume felt as though he should say something. But what should he say? Well, there was the truth. That's always something you're supposed to say. Mimi was a good person. She considered him a friend and the feeling was mutual. Friends were allowed to talk about stuff like this, right? About silly crushes and things that are bothering them?

"Sometimes, it doesn't make sense and sometimes it does. Sometimes the things that he does drive me crazy. We don't agree on some things that really matter to me. He's kind of annoying too. Always saying that I'm cute or something like that. I think back to when I first met him. If anyone asked me I could never imagine myself with him."

He thought back to when he first met Natori. He didn't really know him; hadn't even really seen him on TV. A complete stranger. But he was the only person that he met that could still see and talk to youkai. He'd been so excited to finally meet someone who was similar to him. Even still today, he thanked any god that cared enough to listen for sending Natori his way.

But then he had witnessed how Natori treated youkai. It was something he didn't agree with. He thought that Natori had treated the youkai with not only a lack of respect but with a ruthlessness that was unwarranted.

Then there was the constant teasing. He had been nice enough but the teasing on top of how he treated youkai just didn't sit well with Natsume. He remembered that he used to wish that he could've met someone else that shared his powers. Someone that really understood how he felt.

But then he had gotten to know him better. The teasing became more bearable because he could tease back. He thought that Natori was ruthless but it seemed that either Natori wasn't as ruthless as he first thought or he gradually became less ruthless.

And soon, Natsume had started to see him as a friend, and then a close friend, then after that more than a friend.

"But recently… I've found that I can trust him. And he's not as annoying as I thought he was. He's even… a-a little, um, cute. And he makes me laugh and no matter what he always reassures me and encourages me to do… anything. Whenever I see him, I just… immediately feel better."

Mimi stared at Natsume for a little while. Natsume, embarrassed under the gaze, looked away.

Natsume didn't know what to say after all that. What was he supposed to say?

But then Mimi asked him a question. It was a yes or no question and should have been easy enough to answer since he only needed to utter one syllable. But it wasn't that easy to answer especially if you were a private person like Natsume. He was a person that held things that were dear to him close not out in the open where anyone could see. If anyone could see, what would stop them from ruining his treasures? Nothing, that's what. So it was up to him to protect the things he treasured most by keeping them in small confined spaces or locked away in the deepest recesses of his heart.

"Do you love him?" is what Mimi asked.

But a question as important as that should be answered with the truth.

"Yes."

Yep, so hooray for Natsume finally admitting out loud his feelings for Natori! Hopefully he'll be able to do that again soon... preferably when Natori is around to hear him... Am I right? Anyway, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review. I will love you forevers! *kisses*