[Natsume Yuujinchou] The Difference Between Real and Fake
Title: The Difference Between Real and Fake
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Characters: Natsume Takashi, Tanuma, Natori
Rating: PG-13
Words: (+/-) 2326
Summary: Natori and Natsume argue and break down, while Tanuma catches up on some pacing.
Part 1 . Part 2 . Part 3 . Part 4 . Part 5 . Part 6 . Part 7 . Part 8
Sweeping the candles into a box, Tanuma tried to ignore the way his hands were shaking. He was angry and frustrated, and Natori's dismissal had stung, making him fearful of whether or not he should ask to come back. He needed to learn, but they were already at wit's end with each other. And it had only been two hours!
Footsteps alerted him to Natori's return from wherever he had gone and the rustle of cloth alerted him to the fact that his 'teacher' had taken the burnt school jacket from its resting place atop a chair. “I wasn't able to find a way to restore your uniform, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait while I repair it through the more traditional method.”
The tension eased from his tightly coiled body as he realized Natori had actually felt guilty enough to try to do something about it. “It's fine. I can take care of it myself.”
“I insist.” Tanuma wasn't sure what to say to that and turned to face Natori head on. It was difficult to argue when he didn't have anywhere to be, especially with his father out of town for the next few days, but he didn't want to impose. It was abundantly clear that he had overstayed his welcome.
“No.” With a touch of smugness, Tanuma watched as surprise briefly colored the actor's face, as if no one had ever told him 'no'. “I think we're done here.” Before Natori could answer, he added, “Unless you plan to teach me properly.”
There was no warning when Natori slammed him into the wall. Nothing but swift movement and heavy pressure, and Tanuma only had time to gasp as the situation caught up with him. The hands at his shoulders dug into the thin fabric of his shirt and held him in place as Natori drawled, “I am doing my best to be patient here, but please remember that you are not my first choice for an apprentice.”
Tanuma was glad he had talked Taki out of joining these lessons. It gave him a chance to reply without restraint. “I know. Natsume was, wasn't he? But to be honest, if this is how you treat your students, then I'm glad he rejected you.”
For a moment, Tanuma thought Natori was going to hit him, but then the man simply let go and scoffed. “Do not insult me, Tanuma-kun. We have a lot more in common than you think.”
A sudden wind swept through the room and Natori glanced in the direction it came from, an expression of disbelief taking over. Tanuma followed the man's line of sight and saw nothing but an open window - a window he was positive he had closed earlier in the lesson. Unsure of what was going on, he looked to Natori for an explanation. Right about now was when Natsume would tell him to run away or say something like 'everything's fine, I'll just be moment', and he was half-curious as to what Natori would say.
He did not, however, expect Natori to face him and apologize. The actor seemed too proud for that. “We'll continue later,” Natori decided, handing him a rather flashy business card. “Call me if anything happens. And I mean anything.”
Tanuma pocketed the card thoughtlessly and then snatched his jacket from Natori’s grip. “Even if I break a nail?” He could see Natori’s jaw tighten at the sarcastic response, but the actor was strangely docile all of a sudden. Suspicious, he cast a glance in the direction he had felt the wind and - a shadow was splayed out against the wall in the exact shape as a young man. Tightening his grip on the jacket, he turned back to Natori. “Is that - ”
“Natsume,” acknowledged Natori, a hint of something in his voice that Tanuma could not place, “what are you doing here?”
--
Takashi simply said, “I thought I was welcome over any time.”
Natori folded his arms across chest and looked away. “Of course you are, but I can hardly be an accommodating host when I didn’t even know you were coming over.”
Letting out a soft laugh, Takashi settled at the kitchen table and clasped his hands together above it. “Well then, please allow me to greet your guest.” And while he had laughed, his expression was as faked as Natori’s.
“It’s not that easy, is it, Natsume?” Natori responded, keeping his gaze firmly in the opposite direction. A cheap trick to deceive Tanuma, who was looking around in confusion.
Takashi shrugged and leaned back in his chair, gaze flickering to Tanuma more than once. “For you, I doubt it’s not.”
Something in Natori seemed to come alive at those words, but there was a noticeable restraint as he ground out, “Tanuma-kun, please wait in the other room for a moment.” When the dark-haired boy made to protest, Natori immediately raised his voice to say, “Now!”
Reluctantly Tanuma went into the next room, shutting the door with a curt thud behind himself.
A bit bemused by the theatrics, Takashi asked, “What was that about, Natori-san?” Then he saw the intensity of the stare directed at him and he understood. “You can make me visible to Tanuma, but there’s some kind of catch, isn’t there?”
“Clever, Natsume,” complimented Natori as he finally took the seat across from the ayakashi boy. “That’s exactly right. If you want an ability you don’t possess, it always comes with a catch.” He placed a hand over Takashi’s arm and skimmed the cold expanse of skin there with his fingertips. “A spell of this magnitude adds a certain factor of improbability, since I will be giving you a piece of myself.”
“H-Huh?” Takashi recoiled, unsure of what that meant and not willing to pursue it. “If it’s something like that, I would never -”
Natori smirked and brought his hand to rest on top of Takashi’s. “Oh? Now that you hear what it involves, you doubt my abilities?” The smirk sharpened in to something a bit dangerous, like a tightly coiled snake. “Do you doubt my abilities to make you human as well?”
“This and that are two different things,” pointed out Takashi. “I don’t want you to do something unnecessary for a selfish request.”
The grip on Takashi’s hands became painful, as if Natori was forcing him to stay still. “I see. Then is it unnecessary to make you human again too?”
Taken aback, Takashi struggled to put distance between them, but he no longer could. With a bowed head, he furrowed his brow and thought over what could have provoked this reaction. What was Natori really upset over? What had - He heard shuffling in the room beside the kitchen and a lengthy curse as someone stubbed a toe. Oh. Oh, that was what was going on.
“Are you saying I’m being selfish by wanting to return to the way things were?” Takashi wondered aloud. “Or could you be doubting your own abilities?”
Snickering, Natori released him and held his hands out in front of him, the universal sign for, ‘I surrender.’ “It would be absurd, don’t you think, to expect things to go back to the way they were before all this happened. There’s too much you don’t understand, Natsume. Some of it I don’t think you want to understand or you wouldn’t have asked me those questions.”
Takashi stood as he asked, “Why? Why can’t things be the same?” And Natori repeated the action, coming around the table to pull Takashi into an unexpected hug. There was such force behind the affection that Takashi gave in and let his head rest against Natori’s shoulder, let his eyes close and try to forget why he was here in the first place. That Natori had went behind his back and gotten his friends involved; that he had demanded things of Natori that couldn’t be granted on a mere whim; and that he was angry at himself for keeping secrets until things got to this point and it really was all his fault.
“Let me give you a name,” Natori whispered in his ear, a sweet promise and an end to everything. A promise that none of it had to matter anymore if he wished it so.
Realizing that he had considered it for even a fraction of a second, Takashi pushed Natori away and shook his head. “No. I want to be human again.”
Natori’s expression fell into blankness before recovering with an almost effortless smile. There were too many cracks for it to prove genuine. “Then let me grant your real wish.” Before Takashi could ask anything, Natori grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close once more. “Close your eyes,” the demand was soft, and more like the Natori he was used to, so Takashi obeyed. A pressure on his lips startled him but he didn’t move, curious to find out what would happen next.
Tingling spread from his lips to his neck and then everywhere, much like the flow of blood throughout his real body. For a single instant, he felt human again, and then quickly it faded away to be replaced by the cold, disheartening feel of beads around his wrist. When the pressure at his lips was removed, he tentatively opened his eyes and stared down at the strange bracelet now adorning him. Each bead was a different symbol.
“A temporary contract,” explained Natori, a slight flush to his cheeks. He had yet to release Takashi’s arm, so the young ayakashi stayed put. “It will last until the beads are completely dried up.”
“Natori-san, what -” What do you gain by helping me? He changed his mind on asking that and switched to a quiet, “What can I do to thank you?”
Natori appeared thoughtful for a moment, considering it, and then smiled the smile that had won him the best young actor award not too long ago. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something when we have more time. For now, why don’t you greet my guest? It’s only polite.” When he finally let go of Takashi’s arm, bruises had formed in the shape of a hand. “I’ll make tea.”
Takashi rubbed at the marks, but it was a petty price to pay for what he was expecting of Natori.
--
Back and forth, Tanuma paced the small sitting room. There was nothing but a couch, a desk for mail and keys and scattered papers with drawings on them, and a flat screen TV hung on the wall. It barely looked lived in, if not for the desk and its overflowing sense of purpose.
Off to his left was the kitchen, taunting him with its whispers from a voice he longed to hear. And to his right, two more doors that he didn’t know anything about. One was sealed with a paper charm of some sort, while the other looked ordinary and therefore out of place in this wayward apartment.
He was half-way to the deceptive door when he heard a jovial, “I’ll make tea,” loud and clear. Spinning around at the sound of footsteps and the slide of a door against the floor, he hastened to the side of a very tangible Natsume, hardly believing his eyes.
“How are you - ?” He reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from his friend’s face, testing this illusion. The strands glowed faintly silver against his fingers, and his disbelief further clouded his expression.
In answer, Natsume lifted his arm and showed off a bracelet of beads, a smile tilting his lips upwards as he explained, “Natori-san is lending me some of his power.”
Tanuma still couldn’t bring himself to believe it, not quite yet. What if this was a cruel joke of some sort? “Why would he do something like that?” Why can’t I do anything for you?
Natsume avoided the question and insisted, “I’d rather know why you are here.”
“Natori didn’t tell you?”
Natsume cast an annoyed behind him, into the kitchen, before stepping closer to Tanuma and dropping his voice, “Apparently there is a lot Natori-san doesn’t want to tell me. Fill me in, please.”
Uncomfortable, and for a good reason, Tanuma described what had been going on at school, downplaying the best he could how this ayakashi fed on desire. Outwardly, Natsume appeared to be taking the news of a doppelganger well, but there was a certain stiffness to his friend’s posture that wouldn’t go unnoticed by someone who was truly looking.
“And I suppose you and Natori-san want me to stay out of this?” It was a rhetorical question, but a voice from behind them replied anyway.
“That would be the wisest decision, by far.” Natori waved them back into the kitchen, where they took seats around the table and enjoyed a cup of tea each before anything further was discussed.
Staring straight at Natori the entire time, it seemed Natsume had come to a decision of his own - and by the glint of determination in his eyes, it wasn’t one they were going to like. “I want to help,” Natsume proclaimed, surprising no one.
Natori heaved a put upon sigh and said, “Fine,” which did surprise someone. Tanuma hadn’t expected the man to give in so easily. “You’re going to help whether we want you to or not, so I have a proposition for you.”
Sitting up straighter, Natsume listened with rapt attention. Tanuma propped his chin up on a hand and watched this exchange in detachment, feeling a little left out.
“You will help me teach Tanuma-kun, which means you will remain here and away from the school.”
“But Touko-san -”
“Cannot see you,” finished Natori, “especially in your current state. If you disappear a second time in front of them, it would break their hearts.”
“Wait,” Tanuma interrupted, “how did you make Natsume seem human again, anyway?”
Natori grinned and placed a finger to his lips. “Secret.”
Part 10
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Characters: Natsume Takashi, Tanuma, Natori
Rating: PG-13
Words: (+/-) 2326
Summary: Natori and Natsume argue and break down, while Tanuma catches up on some pacing.
Part 1 . Part 2 . Part 3 . Part 4 . Part 5 . Part 6 . Part 7 . Part 8
Sweeping the candles into a box, Tanuma tried to ignore the way his hands were shaking. He was angry and frustrated, and Natori's dismissal had stung, making him fearful of whether or not he should ask to come back. He needed to learn, but they were already at wit's end with each other. And it had only been two hours!
Footsteps alerted him to Natori's return from wherever he had gone and the rustle of cloth alerted him to the fact that his 'teacher' had taken the burnt school jacket from its resting place atop a chair. “I wasn't able to find a way to restore your uniform, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait while I repair it through the more traditional method.”
The tension eased from his tightly coiled body as he realized Natori had actually felt guilty enough to try to do something about it. “It's fine. I can take care of it myself.”
“I insist.” Tanuma wasn't sure what to say to that and turned to face Natori head on. It was difficult to argue when he didn't have anywhere to be, especially with his father out of town for the next few days, but he didn't want to impose. It was abundantly clear that he had overstayed his welcome.
“No.” With a touch of smugness, Tanuma watched as surprise briefly colored the actor's face, as if no one had ever told him 'no'. “I think we're done here.” Before Natori could answer, he added, “Unless you plan to teach me properly.”
There was no warning when Natori slammed him into the wall. Nothing but swift movement and heavy pressure, and Tanuma only had time to gasp as the situation caught up with him. The hands at his shoulders dug into the thin fabric of his shirt and held him in place as Natori drawled, “I am doing my best to be patient here, but please remember that you are not my first choice for an apprentice.”
Tanuma was glad he had talked Taki out of joining these lessons. It gave him a chance to reply without restraint. “I know. Natsume was, wasn't he? But to be honest, if this is how you treat your students, then I'm glad he rejected you.”
For a moment, Tanuma thought Natori was going to hit him, but then the man simply let go and scoffed. “Do not insult me, Tanuma-kun. We have a lot more in common than you think.”
A sudden wind swept through the room and Natori glanced in the direction it came from, an expression of disbelief taking over. Tanuma followed the man's line of sight and saw nothing but an open window - a window he was positive he had closed earlier in the lesson. Unsure of what was going on, he looked to Natori for an explanation. Right about now was when Natsume would tell him to run away or say something like 'everything's fine, I'll just be moment', and he was half-curious as to what Natori would say.
He did not, however, expect Natori to face him and apologize. The actor seemed too proud for that. “We'll continue later,” Natori decided, handing him a rather flashy business card. “Call me if anything happens. And I mean anything.”
Tanuma pocketed the card thoughtlessly and then snatched his jacket from Natori’s grip. “Even if I break a nail?” He could see Natori’s jaw tighten at the sarcastic response, but the actor was strangely docile all of a sudden. Suspicious, he cast a glance in the direction he had felt the wind and - a shadow was splayed out against the wall in the exact shape as a young man. Tightening his grip on the jacket, he turned back to Natori. “Is that - ”
“Natsume,” acknowledged Natori, a hint of something in his voice that Tanuma could not place, “what are you doing here?”
--
Takashi simply said, “I thought I was welcome over any time.”
Natori folded his arms across chest and looked away. “Of course you are, but I can hardly be an accommodating host when I didn’t even know you were coming over.”
Letting out a soft laugh, Takashi settled at the kitchen table and clasped his hands together above it. “Well then, please allow me to greet your guest.” And while he had laughed, his expression was as faked as Natori’s.
“It’s not that easy, is it, Natsume?” Natori responded, keeping his gaze firmly in the opposite direction. A cheap trick to deceive Tanuma, who was looking around in confusion.
Takashi shrugged and leaned back in his chair, gaze flickering to Tanuma more than once. “For you, I doubt it’s not.”
Something in Natori seemed to come alive at those words, but there was a noticeable restraint as he ground out, “Tanuma-kun, please wait in the other room for a moment.” When the dark-haired boy made to protest, Natori immediately raised his voice to say, “Now!”
Reluctantly Tanuma went into the next room, shutting the door with a curt thud behind himself.
A bit bemused by the theatrics, Takashi asked, “What was that about, Natori-san?” Then he saw the intensity of the stare directed at him and he understood. “You can make me visible to Tanuma, but there’s some kind of catch, isn’t there?”
“Clever, Natsume,” complimented Natori as he finally took the seat across from the ayakashi boy. “That’s exactly right. If you want an ability you don’t possess, it always comes with a catch.” He placed a hand over Takashi’s arm and skimmed the cold expanse of skin there with his fingertips. “A spell of this magnitude adds a certain factor of improbability, since I will be giving you a piece of myself.”
“H-Huh?” Takashi recoiled, unsure of what that meant and not willing to pursue it. “If it’s something like that, I would never -”
Natori smirked and brought his hand to rest on top of Takashi’s. “Oh? Now that you hear what it involves, you doubt my abilities?” The smirk sharpened in to something a bit dangerous, like a tightly coiled snake. “Do you doubt my abilities to make you human as well?”
“This and that are two different things,” pointed out Takashi. “I don’t want you to do something unnecessary for a selfish request.”
The grip on Takashi’s hands became painful, as if Natori was forcing him to stay still. “I see. Then is it unnecessary to make you human again too?”
Taken aback, Takashi struggled to put distance between them, but he no longer could. With a bowed head, he furrowed his brow and thought over what could have provoked this reaction. What was Natori really upset over? What had - He heard shuffling in the room beside the kitchen and a lengthy curse as someone stubbed a toe. Oh. Oh, that was what was going on.
“Are you saying I’m being selfish by wanting to return to the way things were?” Takashi wondered aloud. “Or could you be doubting your own abilities?”
Snickering, Natori released him and held his hands out in front of him, the universal sign for, ‘I surrender.’ “It would be absurd, don’t you think, to expect things to go back to the way they were before all this happened. There’s too much you don’t understand, Natsume. Some of it I don’t think you want to understand or you wouldn’t have asked me those questions.”
Takashi stood as he asked, “Why? Why can’t things be the same?” And Natori repeated the action, coming around the table to pull Takashi into an unexpected hug. There was such force behind the affection that Takashi gave in and let his head rest against Natori’s shoulder, let his eyes close and try to forget why he was here in the first place. That Natori had went behind his back and gotten his friends involved; that he had demanded things of Natori that couldn’t be granted on a mere whim; and that he was angry at himself for keeping secrets until things got to this point and it really was all his fault.
“Let me give you a name,” Natori whispered in his ear, a sweet promise and an end to everything. A promise that none of it had to matter anymore if he wished it so.
Realizing that he had considered it for even a fraction of a second, Takashi pushed Natori away and shook his head. “No. I want to be human again.”
Natori’s expression fell into blankness before recovering with an almost effortless smile. There were too many cracks for it to prove genuine. “Then let me grant your real wish.” Before Takashi could ask anything, Natori grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close once more. “Close your eyes,” the demand was soft, and more like the Natori he was used to, so Takashi obeyed. A pressure on his lips startled him but he didn’t move, curious to find out what would happen next.
Tingling spread from his lips to his neck and then everywhere, much like the flow of blood throughout his real body. For a single instant, he felt human again, and then quickly it faded away to be replaced by the cold, disheartening feel of beads around his wrist. When the pressure at his lips was removed, he tentatively opened his eyes and stared down at the strange bracelet now adorning him. Each bead was a different symbol.
“A temporary contract,” explained Natori, a slight flush to his cheeks. He had yet to release Takashi’s arm, so the young ayakashi stayed put. “It will last until the beads are completely dried up.”
“Natori-san, what -” What do you gain by helping me? He changed his mind on asking that and switched to a quiet, “What can I do to thank you?”
Natori appeared thoughtful for a moment, considering it, and then smiled the smile that had won him the best young actor award not too long ago. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something when we have more time. For now, why don’t you greet my guest? It’s only polite.” When he finally let go of Takashi’s arm, bruises had formed in the shape of a hand. “I’ll make tea.”
Takashi rubbed at the marks, but it was a petty price to pay for what he was expecting of Natori.
--
Back and forth, Tanuma paced the small sitting room. There was nothing but a couch, a desk for mail and keys and scattered papers with drawings on them, and a flat screen TV hung on the wall. It barely looked lived in, if not for the desk and its overflowing sense of purpose.
Off to his left was the kitchen, taunting him with its whispers from a voice he longed to hear. And to his right, two more doors that he didn’t know anything about. One was sealed with a paper charm of some sort, while the other looked ordinary and therefore out of place in this wayward apartment.
He was half-way to the deceptive door when he heard a jovial, “I’ll make tea,” loud and clear. Spinning around at the sound of footsteps and the slide of a door against the floor, he hastened to the side of a very tangible Natsume, hardly believing his eyes.
“How are you - ?” He reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from his friend’s face, testing this illusion. The strands glowed faintly silver against his fingers, and his disbelief further clouded his expression.
In answer, Natsume lifted his arm and showed off a bracelet of beads, a smile tilting his lips upwards as he explained, “Natori-san is lending me some of his power.”
Tanuma still couldn’t bring himself to believe it, not quite yet. What if this was a cruel joke of some sort? “Why would he do something like that?” Why can’t I do anything for you?
Natsume avoided the question and insisted, “I’d rather know why you are here.”
“Natori didn’t tell you?”
Natsume cast an annoyed behind him, into the kitchen, before stepping closer to Tanuma and dropping his voice, “Apparently there is a lot Natori-san doesn’t want to tell me. Fill me in, please.”
Uncomfortable, and for a good reason, Tanuma described what had been going on at school, downplaying the best he could how this ayakashi fed on desire. Outwardly, Natsume appeared to be taking the news of a doppelganger well, but there was a certain stiffness to his friend’s posture that wouldn’t go unnoticed by someone who was truly looking.
“And I suppose you and Natori-san want me to stay out of this?” It was a rhetorical question, but a voice from behind them replied anyway.
“That would be the wisest decision, by far.” Natori waved them back into the kitchen, where they took seats around the table and enjoyed a cup of tea each before anything further was discussed.
Staring straight at Natori the entire time, it seemed Natsume had come to a decision of his own - and by the glint of determination in his eyes, it wasn’t one they were going to like. “I want to help,” Natsume proclaimed, surprising no one.
Natori heaved a put upon sigh and said, “Fine,” which did surprise someone. Tanuma hadn’t expected the man to give in so easily. “You’re going to help whether we want you to or not, so I have a proposition for you.”
Sitting up straighter, Natsume listened with rapt attention. Tanuma propped his chin up on a hand and watched this exchange in detachment, feeling a little left out.
“You will help me teach Tanuma-kun, which means you will remain here and away from the school.”
“But Touko-san -”
“Cannot see you,” finished Natori, “especially in your current state. If you disappear a second time in front of them, it would break their hearts.”
“Wait,” Tanuma interrupted, “how did you make Natsume seem human again, anyway?”
Natori grinned and placed a finger to his lips. “Secret.”
Part 10