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blackkyu: Just the usual ones Natsume hangs out with ;)

AN: This chapter is up a day early! Since no one said how long they wanted the chapter to be I went with the two shorter ones. Hope that's okay. This also means that the next chapter is ready to go. Please, please leave a review!

Chapter 38

They were all sitting around eating dinner that night and Kyo had to admit that he was worried about his boyfriend. Even though the younger boy didn't seem to be in pain he was very subdued. He didn't know if Nyanko-sensei's absence made it worse or not. According to Natsume him and Yuki ran into the cat on the way home and the cat told them that he was going out for the night.

"You know there's something that I've been wondering about," Kazuma said as he gave Kyo a curious look. "The night you two found out about each other…Kyo how did you know that there was a yokai after you?"

"Oh," Kyo said as he looked at the man then glanced over to Yuki who seemed just as curious. Kyo shared a quick look with Natsume, his boyfriend giving him an oops face. Somehow they had forgotten to share that little detail. "The thing of it is I can kind of sort of…um….see yokai when I'm a cat or my other form."

"What!" Kazuma and Yuki shouted in unison.

"Since when?" Kazuma asked.

"Since that night, but never before then," Kyo told him. "Has this happened to any other cat before?"

"I don't know," Kazuma said with a frown. "I mean that cat always gets locked up when they…"

"Are around my age," Kyo finished for him. That was something to contemplate later. "All I can do though is see them."

"What do you mean all you can do is see them? Isn't that all there is?" Yuki asked curiously.

"No. It's more complicated than that," Natsume said. "Kyo can't cast spells, he can't seal them, he can't sense them, and he can't see everything. Like the spell on his bracelet."

"The spell on his bracelet?" Kazuma asked as he looked down at said bracelet. Natsume nodded.

"I think this curse is more complicated than any of us thought," Kazuma said with a sigh.

"There' ah something else…" Kyo said as he licked his suddenly dry lips. If they were telling them that he figured that they might as well tell them everything. "I can kind of…mostly control my cat form."

"How is that even possible?!" Yuki asked sounding surprised.

"With a lot of practice and with the help of a certain female yokai," Kyo shivered remembering all of the hugs he got a hug from Hinoe. "It isn't full proof, but I can change at will or more like I can change to a cat at will and change back. I can also stop myself from changing when I get too stressed or at least for the most part. I still have my limit where that is concerned and if I get hugged by a girl that's another story. Not that it's a problem anymore." He sent a wink Natsume's way and actually managed to make the younger boy blush which made him chuckle. It wasn't very often that he could make Natsume blush. He on the other, Natsume made him blush all of the time.

"Why didn't you mention any of this last time I came up?" Yuki asked the expression on his face was a mix between anger and hurt.

"I honestly didn't think about it," Kyo said with a shrug. Yuki just huffed in response.

"I wonder if any of the rest of us can see yokai?" Yuki asked.

"I wouldn't…" Natsume started to say, but then there was a puff and a pile of Yuki's clothes which he was currently trying to get out of.

"What just happened?" Kazuma asked looking slightly confused.

"Hinoe?" Kyo asked as he sniffed the air and smelt smoke.

"She followed us home," Natsume answered. He then looked at the spot behind Yuki's chair. "Yes he turns into a rat."

"Alright who or what is Hinoe?" Yuki asked looking perturbed.

"The yokai standing right there," Natsume said as he pointed. "Can't you see her?" Yuki squinted at the spot then shook his head.

"Nothing," he told them. It was shortly after that they heard the front door bang open then a moment later slam closed.

"Hinoe left I take it," Kyo said as he frowned at the door.

"Yeah. She got all upset when Yuki couldn't see her," Natsume answered.

"And what about my bracelet?" Kyo asked as he turned his attention back to his cousin. Again Yuki looked and again he shook his head.

"Still nothing," Yuki said.

"It really must be just an ability of the cat," Kazuma said not looking overly pleased. "And if they got the ability later it's not like they could tell anyone."

"No, it's not," Kyo said with a sigh. "It's not unheard of though. Us zodiac having a second ability I mean. Look at Hatori and his ability to erase memories."

"I guess you're right," Kazuma said still not looking too happy. Right then there was a puff of smoke and Yuki was back in human form. To give him some privacy to change Kyo and the others went into the living room. Kyo pulled Natsume down so they were sitting on the couch together. Kazuma gave them a happy smile as he sat down in the vacant chair.

"Since we're on the topic of our family I have an idea of why Akito told everyone you're dead," Yuki said as he joined them fully dressed and sat on the coffee table.

"And why is that?" Kyo asked. He had been wanting to know that since he first ran into Yuki and heard what everyone believed to be the truth. His cousin gave him a small smile in return.

"Hope," he answered simply.

"Hope?" Natsume repeated. Yuki nodded.

"Look at you Kyo. You've built a life here. You have someone that accepts you. And you're happy," Yuki said. "If the rest of the family saw you living like this they would realize that they could have it too."

"I think…" Kazuma said as he gave them that same small smile, "that Yuki's right. Seeing you two together like this. It makes me so happy and now I can finally see you having a good future Kyo."

"Akito really is an evil bastard," Kyo said as he slammed his fist down on the arm of the couch. To think that the man would deny them happiness. Kyo could understand if Akito wanted to protect them because of the curse, but that wasn't his reasoning. He was just cruel. "I don't know why he just doesn't leave us all alone or let us do what we want."

"Not to mention why the cat has to be locked up in the first place," Yuki said with a shake of his head. Kyo had been wondering that himself also especially since Natsume got him out.

"Speaking of that you never did say how Natsume broke you out," Kazuma said as he looked at them both curiously.

"You never told me the whole story either," Yuki chimed in.

"What do you say Natsume are you ready for telling the story?" he asked his boyfriend. It was obvious that they all needed to hear something good after all of the depressing talk about the family curse. Although at the time it wasn't happy now it was a good memory and Kyo loved to brag about how brave his boyfriend was.

"Alright," Natsume said finally giving them a real smile.

"I'll start with my end first…" Kyo said.

The two of them proceeded to tell the story in tandem. Each telling their part from their point of view. Kyo had to admit that he loved the reactions from their two guests. They had never got to tell the story this way before because both his and Natsume's lives were so full of secrets.

"So this Mi…Mis…" Kazuma started to say but couldn't seem to get the word out of his mouth.

"Misuzu," Natsume supplied for him. The man smiled in return.

"He really blew a hole in the wall," Kazuma said with a chuckle. "I would have loved to see that."

"It was something. Although I was human at the time," Kyo said as he got up and went into the kitchen. "Now who wants some birthday cake? Natsume made it yesterday."

"I'll take a piece of cake," Kazuma said.

"Me too," Yuki said as he reached into his duffle bag and pulled out a brightly wrapped package, "and speaking of birthdays."

"You didn't have to get me anything," Kyo said not sure how to react as Yuki had never gotten him anything before. He carried two pieces of cake and handed one to each of their guests; Natsume carried theirs.

"Yes I did. I've never gotten you a present for your birthday before and I should have," Yuki argued.

"It's not like I got you anything either," Kyo argued back.

"I know and I'm not going to say no if you want to get me one. Now open the damn thing or I'm going to keep it," Yuki huffed.

Kyo set his cake to the side and quickly ripped the paper wondering what kind of gift his former enemy had picked out for him. "The rest of the Shrek movies?"

"Yup. You and Natsume seemed to like the second one so much," Yuki said with a shrug. "I thought that you might enjoy the rest of them."

"Thanks. That was nice of you," Kyo said trying to hide his cringe. Yuki meant well and had no idea how much he hated that damnable movie. "Look a gift for both of us." He handed over the movies to Natsume. The younger boy had the most curious expression on his face as he took them.

"They're kind of like my first birthday present," the younger boy muttered as he looked at the movies.

"Kind of?" Yuki asked curiously. Kyo though was waiting for the punch. He knew what Natsume was going say and he already felt terrible. Kazuma and Yuki though weren't use to Natsume and his little sucker punches. Even though he didn't mean to upset people by what he said he still did.

"Yeah, I mean it's not really my birthday but you thought of me as well so thank you," Natsume told them with a genuine smile as he looked at the third Shrek movie yet again. He seemed to have taken an interest in that one.

"Natsume do you mean to tell me that you never celebrated your birthday?" Kazuma asked sounding upset.

"No. I mean I never stayed in a place long enough for anyone to want to celebrate my birthday. The Fujiwaras were planning to last year but then Touku-san's sister got sick and they got busy," Natsume said with a casual shrug.

"So when is your birthday?" Kyo asked hoping that Natsume wouldn't realize what he had said upset both Yuki and Kazuma. It upset him as well but he was getting better at hiding it when Natsume said those types of things.

"End of summer," Natsume told him.

"Then we'll just have to celebrate it, won't we," Kyo said as he gave him a kiss. "We just won't let either of them bake your cake. They both burn water."

"It's true. I can't cook anything," Kazuma said then went into a story of how he tried to use a toaster and ended up setting the kitchen on fire. After the story Kyo gave the man a grateful smile for successfully changing the subject.

After that their discussion they stayed to lighter topics. No more mention of curses, their family, or yokai. They even ended up watching the third Shrek movie. Kyo found it cringe worthy but Natsume really seemed to enjoy it as did Yuki surprisingly. Kazuma on the other hand kept giving him sappy smiles especially when Natsume sat closer to him.

When Kyo laid down that night he realized how tired he really was. It had been a very long day. After the movie the two of them got their guests settled in the bedroom; Kazuma on the bed and Yuki on Natsume's futon. Kyo was lying on their spare futon out in the living and Natsume had the couch. He had just dozed off when he thought he heard Natsume ask him a question.

"Sorry what was that?" Kyo asked sleepily.

"Is it nice seeing your foster father again?" Natsume repeated.

"Yeah. I hadn't realized how much I missed him until I saw him," Kyo said with a sigh. It was nice just to be able to talk to him and unload some of the stress he had been feeling lately.

"Are you…are you going to go back with him?" Natsume asked quietly with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Of course not. My life is here now," Kyo told him.

"But he's your family," Natsume said. That statement got his attention. He sat up and turned on their lamp.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kyo asked confused.

"I…" Natsume asked looking surprised by his outburst. "It's just that family comes first."

"Shit," Kyo said as he ran his fingers through his hair. He knew that Natsume was upset but he didn't think it was that bad. Natsume actually believed that he was going to leave him. If it was anyone else he would be hurt and angry. Alright he was a little hurt, but Natsume didn't know any different. So far everyone in his life had left him. He would just have to find a way to prove it to the younger boy that he wasn't like everyone else.

"Kyo?" Natsume asked hesitantly.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kyo told him.

"But…"

"No buts," Kyo said with a shake of his head. "I know they're my family, but you're my family too. And not only are you family, but you're the most important person in my life." He then gave the younger boy a long, slow, mouth consuming, kiss. "Not only that there is no one in my family I can do that with or would even want to. Only you."

"I hope you don't want to do that with anyone else," the younger boy grumbled finally sounding not quite so melancholy.

"Believe me I don't plan to and I hope you don't either," Kyo said and Natsume shook his head in reply. "So are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah," Natsume said, "sorry I got all weird on you."

"Its fine, but if you're upset you know you can talk to me," Kyo reminded him.

"It's not like you talked to me when you were upset," Natsume countered.

"No, that's something that we both have to work on," Kyo told him. At least though he got to work out some of his problems by talking to Kazuma, but Natsume didn't have anyone to go to. Kyo could tell by the look in the younger boy's eyes that something was still upsetting him.

"I'll try," Natsume said as he bit his lower lip.

"I'll try too," Kyo told him, "now how about we try and get some sleep."

"Right," Natsume agreed. Kyo gave him another kiss, then shut off the light, and laid down. He stayed awake just long enough to hear Natsume's breath even out. Once he knew that his boyfriend was sleeping peaceful Kyo let himself drift off as well.