Natsume Yuujinchou Fan Fiction ❯ BOUND ~ a 'Natsume's Book of Friends' Fan-Fic ❯ Chapter 19

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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~ Nineteen ~

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I walked from the bus stop with a light heart and smiled up at the sky. Kaname didn't hate me. I hadn't lost my friend.

From behind me came strangely familiar sounds. Scrape-clop-jingle, scrape-clop-jingle...

I turned to look.

A female spirit in gray antique robes that were more than a little ragged was coming up the walk. Shoulder-length pale brown hair spilled from behind a double-horned mask with one large eye. A thick rope was tied around her neck and trailed behind her. She passed me close enough that her robes brushed against my coat sleeve.

I blinked in surprise. I'd seen that spirit before--the day I met Natori. I turned to look at her. "Oh, hey there." Almost the instant the words left my mouth I winced. More than a few spirits resented humans that could see them.

Briefly, she glanced back at me, but continued walking.

I heaved a small sigh then continued on my way home. I had a lot of studying to do.

~ * ~

I awoke to the alarm, and shoved Nyanko off my stomach to shut the blaring thing off. I slumped back on the futon mattress. It was Saturday morning and I had four tests to look forward to--one right after the other.

It was not going to be a good day.

A knock sounded on my doorframe followed by a familiar feminine voice. "Takashi?"

I rolled to sit up. "I'm up, Touko."

"Good! I have pancakes on the table. Hurry down and eat."

"Yes, ma'am." After rolling up the mattress and shoving it in the cabinet along with the blankets and pillow, I trotted down the hall to the bathroom to brush my teeth, among other morning necessities. Back in my room, I threw on my school uniform, grabbed my book bag, and tripped over a still sleeping Nyanko.

From the sake fumes wafting up from him, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't actually asleep. He was passed out. Apparently, he'd gone out drinking after I'd gone to bed.

With a smile that I knew good and well was sly, I spoke right next to his ear. "Mmm... Touko's serving Western pancakes and they're all mine."

Nyanko's eyes popped open. "Pancakes?" He leapt up on all four tiny feet and growled at me, his bob-tail straight up, and his fur on end. "You're not having my pancakes!"

I grinned. "Oh, really?" I turned and bolted down the hall.

Growling up a storm, Nyanko chased after me.

I thunked down the stairs as fast as I dared--with my hand firmly on the rail.

Nyanko took that opportunity to turn into a rolling ball and bounced down the stairs past me, then skidded to the left into the kitchen. "My pancakes! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Grinning, I hit the bottom of the steps and skidded into the kitchen right behind him.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day after all?

Four hours later, when the noon bell rang, I walked up to the teacher's desk at the head of the empty classroom and handed in my last test -- Japanese literature. I actually liked the subject so I knew I'd done well, though probably not enough to ace it. I was a good student, not a great one.

Red pen in hand while he busily graded papers, the teacher nodded absently and waved me off.

Back in my overcoat and hound's-tooth muffler with my book-bag over my shoulder and lunch in hand, I headed out of the school.

Nyanko met me in the tall grass of the school's front lawn. "How's about we eat lunch in the park?"

The park wasn't a bad idea. The breeze was a little chilly, but the sun was just warm enough to counter it. My brow lifted. "We...? Oh, did you bring a lunch?"

"Don't be greedy Natsume." Nyanko lifted his nose and turned his face away. "Touko made those fried fish snacks for me, and you know it."

"Oh really?" I started strolling across the dyke's stone bridge toward the park. "I could have sworn I heard her say, 'Make sure you eat all the fish, Natsume. So your bones will grow strong!'"

Nyanko bounced up onto my shoulder -- heavily -- and hissed in my ear. "She said no such thing! She said..." His voice swept up into a higher pitch. "Make sure you save some for Nyanko!"

I bit back my grin. Teasing the cat was always fun. "Are you sure about that? I could have sworn you were still in the kitchen stuffing yourself with pancakes."

The cat spat. "Well, I wasn't!"

"I think you were."

"I wasn't!"

The argument carried on all the way to the park. The leaves on the trees were flame and gold, a gorgeous autumn display. However, it was more than a little...crowded with sight-seers there to look at the leaves.

Nyanko jumped off my shoulder and toddled onto one of the major paths.

I could have left him to his own devices, but that was never a safe idea, so I followed him.

The cat took a sudden sharp left and hopped up on a bench right under a huge spreading maple. It was actually quite pretty--and bright. Every leaf looked like it had been dipped in blood red paint.

I frowned at him. That he picked a bench under the biggest and brightest tree around wasn't unusual. However, that he wanted to sit in an area was practically crowded with people was. Nyanko didn't like humans. In fact, he barely tolerated his own kind.

His tiny mouth abruptly spread into a huge and obviously fake Cheshire Cat grin.

My eyes narrowed in open suspicion, I approached the bench. "What are you up to now?"

His grin dissolved into huge eyes and a tiny 'mew'.

I jerked back a step. Was he was trying to becute? "Don't do that! It's scary!"

He blinked his eyes back to their proper size and shape, huffed loudly, and reached out with one tiny paw to pat the bench beside him.

I sighed and went to sit next to him. I had no idea why he wanted to sit out in the open, but I strongly suspected he had a reason. I opened the napkin-wrapped lunch box and handed over one of the fish.

Despite a small tussle over the last piece of fish, lunch was finished in pretty quick order. In fact, I ate every last grain of rice then looked for strays I might have missed.

Nyanko looked at me with one of his sly smiles. He spoke softly, but his voice was almost Madara deep. "Hungry, Natsume?"

Something about the tone sent a bolt of heat straight to my gut and a ping of warmth to my cheeks. I dodged his gaze by closing the box and wrapping the napkin around it. "I can never get enough of Touko's cooking."

A flurry of feminine oh's and ah's came from the far end of the walkway.

I looked up out of sheer curiosity.

Surrounded by females and almost visible sparkles while illuminated by a sunbeam, was a smiling, golden-haired Natori wearing a black velvet jacket.

I stiffened, but forced myself to relax. He didn't have anything on me anymore. I could leave anytime I liked. Even so, my hand snuck out to stroke down Nyanko's furry back.

Nyanko loosed a soft chuckle and rolled his paws under him, his eyes narrowing to slits.

Natori's smiling gaze passed right over me, then he froze and his eyes widened slightly. His head turned sharply to look back at me again. A rather obvious double-take. He waved past his surrounding crowd of admirers. "Oi! Natsume!"

I nodded to him, but stayed right where I was. I was not ever going to approach him again. If he wanted my company, he was going to have to come to me.

Easier said than done -- for him anyway. Without his hat and glasses disguise, Natori had gathered a rather large crowd. It took him more than a little while to politely disentangle himself.

I couldn't help but smile at his dilemma. "Jeeze, that guy... The second I see him he causes problems."

Eventually, Natori made it all the way to my bench to lean over me. "So, Natsume..."

Despite the fact that my heart was beating in my mouth, I smiled mildly up at him. "Natori."

His gaze narrowed just a hair. "I've been looking for you."

In that instant, I realized that I wasn't frightened of Natori, I was furious with him. Amazing how fear and anger can feel so similar. I widened my smile to hide the clenching of my teeth. "Oh, I know. I've been a little--" I stood up, and met his gaze, eye to eye. "--Busy."

Natori's eyes widened, clearly taking in my added height--and bulk. "I'll say..." His smile returned--with extra wattage. "You were cute before, but damn you look good now."

I brightened my smile too. "Healthy?"

He happily nodded. "Oh, yes..."

"Well fed?"

His smile froze on his lips and his eyes narrowed a hair.

Bingo. Madara was right. The bastard had been feeding on me. My smile evaporated. "I told you I would break it." My gaze narrowed. "And I wouldn't try that again if I were you." I figured I'd let him make of that what he would.

Natori's smile returned only it was his natural smile, his sly smile. "That wouldn't be a threat now, would it?"

I gave him a sly smile of my own. "More like, a promise."

His smile disappeared again. "My offer of apprenticeship still stands."

I crossed my arms before me. "Your apprenticeship comes with strings." My brow lifted "Or should I say, a leash?"

Natori fisted his hands at his sides, his eyes narrowing. "It doesn't have to! I'm just...!" He winced and looked away.

I lowered my arms and my voice. "Just, what?"

"Tired." His eyes closed briefly and he sighed heavily. His hands fell open at his sides. "Tired of being--" His voice dropped to a soft whisper. "--Alone."

I released a breath. "I know how you feel, believe me."

Natori looked over at me with a sour smile. "Do you?"

I gave him a very level look. "The people I am currently living with are not related to me by blood because those that are don't want a creepy kid living with them. The reason I am two years older than my classmates is because when I got here, I repeated the last two years of middle school. I was passed around so much, I wasn't in one school long enough to take the exams to get into a high school, never mind passing them." I lifted my chin. "These past few years are the longest I have been in any one place since I can remember."

Natori winced then let out a breath. His smiled returned, though not nearly as brightly--or as sly. "I guess you do understand."

I offered a small smile. "I don't mind being friends with you, but I'll have to think on anything else." My smile tightened. "You're not exactly trustworthy."

Natori winced dramatically. "I suppose I earned that."

My chin lifted. "You suppose...?" I set my hands on my hips. "Like there's any doubt?"

Natori's eyes widened and his lashes became damp with unshed tears. He clasped his hands before him, the very picture of earnestness. "Please give me the chance to earn your trust back, Natsume?"

I blinked at him. Puppy eyes? I rolled my own eyes. Freaking, actor... "You can begin by stopping with the fake expressions."

Natori slumped where he stood and scowled briefly.

I couldn't help but grin. "Much better."

Natori rocked back on his heels and shook his head. "Fine." He stuck out his hand. "Friends, then?"

I lifted my hand to shake his hand.

Nyanko leaped from the bench to head-butt my hand away. He gave me a passing glare that said quite clearly, "Don't touch him."

Natori blinked at the rotund tri-colored cat and choked out a laugh. "Good heavens, he's hysterical!" Grinning, he leaned down to peer at Nyanko. "What is he?"

I shot Nyanko a quick glare. "He's uh, my cat."

Natori dropped down to one knee to look closer at Nyanko. "That's a cat?" He burst into laughter.

Stupid me. Of course Natori could see what Nyanko wasn't. Suddenly, a stab of guilt hit me right through the heart. I'd just nailed Natori for not being trustworthy, and what do I do? I lie to him. I huffed out a breath. "No, not really. Nyanko isn't really a cat."

Natori's laughter abated to a mere smile. "I see. Thank you." He reached out to stroke his hand down Nyanko's back. "What a cute servant you have."

Nyanko bared his tiny fangs and the fur lifted down his back. With a loud growl, he burst up from the ground to slam his head under Natori's chin--hard. "I'm not his servant, you block-head, I'm his Master!"

Natori was knocked back hard and landed sprawling. He stared up at the sky briefly then sat up to rub his jaw. "Oh, my..."

I snorted. Served him right.

A wind came out of nowhere to coalesce into the curly-haired, blind-folded, goat woman spirit from the paper demon. Long nails out and fangs bared, she charged at Nyanko. "How dare you touch my master, you fat cat!"

Nyanko reared up on his tiny hind paws and brandished his needle-sharp claws. "What are you gonna do about it, Frizz-head?"

Hissing and screaming, they charged each other to start brawling -- right in the middle of the crowded park.

I dashed between the two of them and punched out to either side, slamming my fists into both their heads simultaneously. "Cut it out!"

Both of them went sailing.

Natori stared at me wide-eyed. "That was...potent."

"Yeah, well..." I shook my hand, my knuckles stung from Nyanko's head. "It works."

Natori smiled but it was a trifle, uncertain. "It certainly does." His voice dropped to a whisper I almost didn't hear. "When you do it."

~ * ~