Natsume insisted on joining Natori whenever the exorcist was near his hometown. Natori wasn't totally sure why. He suspected that it was because Natsume felt very protective of the youkai who were around the area and didn't want Natori unduly harming them. Natori didn't mind the company, even if he sometimes found Natsume's idealistic worldview a bit annoying.
Today, however, he wished that Natsume had stayed away.
The youkai that Natori was tracking down was rumored to be destroying crops. Natsume insisted that this could not be the case. Natori wasn't so sure. He attempted to have Natsume stay behind, but the teen was insistent that he come along. In the end, Natori caved.
It wasn't difficult to track the youkai. It did indeed leave a path of destruction. The trail lead on, deeper into the forest. Natsume's face was set in an unusually blank expression.
"What's on your mind?" Natori coaxed, trying to figure out why his young companion was so quiet.
"What if you really have to exorcize it?" Natsume frowned.
Natori had planned on doing that already, but Natsume didn't need to know that.
"It will be fine," Natori assured the teen.
"What if there's something else going on? What if the youkai is just hurt or something like that?" Natsume asked with a stubborn set to his shoulders.
Before Natori could answer, a roar erupted from the forest on their right. The youkai they had been tracking charged from the trees. It must have doubled back and spotted them. Natori jumped out of the way dragging Natsume with him.
"Stay down!" Natori commanded the teen as he pulled free his paper dolls.
He set the paper dolls free. They bound the youkai, but the binding didn't last for long. The youkai tore free and charged them again. Natori had very little time to summon his shiki before the youkai charged again. The youkai was a wild and unpredictable thing. It took all of Natori's skill to keep track of it in any meaningful way, until, quiet suddenly, it didn't. There was a pattern.
Natori felt a chill down his spine.
The youkai was targeting Natsume.
The teen was a couple of steps Natori, no doubt ready to intervene if needed. He had yet to realize that the youkai was after him.
"Stay back," Natori hollered over his shoulder.
Natsume shook his head.
"I'm not going to leave you alone with it!" Natsume grimaced.
Natori sighed.
"Hiiragi-" Natori was cut off as the youkai charged once more.
Natori could see that it was still fixed on Natsume. Without a second thought, Natori threw himself in front of Natsume. He hissed in pain as the claws of the youkai raked down his arm. Natori didn't dwell on his injury.
Hiiragi didn't need her master to finish his command. As the youkai barreled by, she deftly scooped up Natsume to keep him out of the fray. With Natsume safe, Natori and his other two shiki set about finishing off the aggressive youkai. It took much longer than Natori had planned on taking but in the end the youkai was exorcized.
It was then and only then that Hiigrai set her charge down. Natsume looked very shaken. Natori could see that the teen was very pale.
"Are you alright, Natsume?" Natori asked his young companion.
"Natori-san, you're bleeding!" Natsume croaked, eyes glued to Natori's arm.
Natsume spared a glance at his arm. The injury from the youkai's claws throbbed, but it wasn't too bad. The gashes were long, but they weren't deep.
"I've had worse. It's not even somewhere that my current film producer will spot. I have to wear a jacket on set anyway," Natori assured his young companion.
"But you're bleeding," Natsume's voice trembled slightly.
"Like I said, I've had worse," Natori smiled gently.
Natsume finally tore his eyes away from Natori's injury.
"You got hurt because of me," the teen choked on his voice.
"It's not your fault," Natori shook his head.
"Itismy fault. Y-you had to protect me. I wasn't g-good enough," Natsume was clearly holding back tears.
"Being good enough didn't have anything to do with my choice to protect you. You're just a kid, Natsume. Powerful, yes, but just a kid," Natori smiled reassuringly.
"I'm sorry. I'll do better then you won't have to get hurt," Natsume bowed his head in submission and guilt.
"Natsume. It's not about doing better next time. Like I said, you are just a kid. Of course I am going to protect you," Natori insisted.
His words didn't seem to be having much of an effect. Natsume's expression could only be described as one of immense guilt.
"You shouldn't have to," the teen shuddered.
"Why not?" Natori frowned.
"This is my fault. I should have realized that you would be better off without me. I shouldn't have come. I was in the way, as usual," Natsume shuddered.
Natori pondered what to say next. He knew that Natsume's upbringing had been full of condemnation and abuse. The aftereffects of it were very still visible.
"That is not true," Natori shook his head.
"It is. I'm sorry. I'm a horrible person to inconvenience you to the point of hurting you," Natsume apologized.
"You are not an inconvenience," Natori shook his head vehemently.
"Then what am I? I can't even protect myself," Natsume was clearly torn with guilt.
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean anything. You are a kid and you are worth protecting," Natori insisted.
The blank look on Natsume's face told Natori that the statement had been heard and not believed or understood.
"Look, Natsume," Natori took his glasses off so that he could tiredly rub his eyes, "You know that you are powerful, yes?"
Natsume shrugged.
"You also know how old you are, right?" Natori continued.
Again, Natsume shrugged.
"You aren't expected to know how to fully use your powers or protect yourself at such a young age.
"But Matoba said-" Natsume began.
"Do you believe him over me?" Natori raised an eyebrow.
"No," Natsume admitted with a sigh.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're just a kid," Natori ruffled Natsume's hair.
"You don't think I'm a burden?" Natsume bit his lip.
"No, never," Natori insisted firmly.
Natori drew the teen into a side hug. Natsume stiffened before slowly relaxing into Natori's loose embrace. Natori sat still and let Natsume be held and safe.
