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The rain is getting heavier with every minute and Natsume can't surpass a wince when he feels a cold droplet falls at him though the dome of their hurriedly found shelter.
Nyanko-sensei is curled next to him, the greatness of his true form fills in the limited space of the cave they're in almost completely, but Natsume isn't to complain. In fact, he's silently glad Sensei decided not to shift to his maneki neko form just yet, letting his enormous body became much needed shield against the humid rocks and chilling wind. And normally Natsume would say something, pointing out in their bickering manner that Nyanko-sensei, despite all his claims and denying, did actually care– that he had gone soft for his human. But normally, Natsume would be also content to have the calming presence of his bodyguard so close to him. Their current situation is anything but usual.
"Get some rest brat," Nyanko-sensei is first to break the silence. His ordinarily vibrant voice sounds flat, almost tired. With a pang of guilt, Natsume looks at the mess of stray branches and dirt that is Nyanko-sensei.
"The rain isn't going to stop anytime soon. There's no smell of thunder in the air either," he adds with a snort, making Natsume exhale though his nose and slide against Sensei's soft side a little. Full raged storm would be the last of the problems Natsume needs now.
"I'm fine," Natsume replies automatically which earns him an unimpressed glare from Nyanko as the beast finally cracks one golden eye open.
Exhausted, Natsume decides to ignore his grumpy cat's fuss for now. Sure, his breathing comes out a bit shallow and labored. There's dull ache in his rib cage that makes him wincing ever so slightly with bigger movements. And if the stinging feeling the moisture leaves in his shoulder can serve as any indication, Natsume's pretty sure he has a small slash over there.
So he might have got some cracked ribs while the yōkai he supposed to help smashed him to the trunk. So maybe his tumble down the earthen cliff wasn't as harmless as he thought. He's fine. He had worse. And all of these was his fault anyway.
Deflected, Natsume sighs. Perhaps he should've listened to Nyanko-sensei before the sake was mentioned. But Natsume isn't sorry for mending into ayakashi business this time. No, he's almost certain it was right thing to do and he is not going to regret it. He wouldn't forgive himself if he started to stay indifferent towards someone's suffer. Subconsciously, he knows Nyanko-sensei is to blame for their current state as well. Still, Natsume can't help feeling useless. If he had been stronger, they wouldn't have to flee through the thick forest and cold rainfall. They wouldn't have ended up stuck here– soaked wet, looking like a total mess.
At very least, he won't worry Fujiwaras. The old couple have gone to small trip and while Natsume is now capable of realizing they wouldn't mind his presence along with them (they would even welcome it, he thinks), he suspects they need their time together and is happy with it. The want to be alone with someone it's not a need he knows well, but he can understands it.
Lingering thought of Tōko-san frames Natsume like a blanket. He practically can see the woman's worried face in his mind. Her gentle hands always reaching to pull the mood out of his hair, when she's asking what happened.
Before Natsume knows it, his own hands start combing through Nyanko-sensei's fur. Familiar silk feels clammy beneath his fingers. So similar yet still different from Natsume's own hair, Nyanko-sensei's fur is soft and pure, lacking the silver undertones that dust Natsume's locks.
He's careful as he removes the tangled branches and leaves, trying his best to get rid of dried up mud and the little blood that he half hopes is his, not Sensei's. He doesn't stop when he feels eyes focused on him as Nynako-sensei shift his head with surprised huff. Expecting some snarky comment about being a foolish human, he's startled enough to flinch while Nyanko-sensei actually snorts whit amusement and lays back down, purring.
With what has to be his first smile in last few hours, Natsume leans into Sensei's fur. He won't admit it out loud, but he'd rather comb Nyanko's true form in his warm and cozy room with a proper brush than like this next time. Still– he thinks as he curls more closely to Sensei, caressing the sleek fur absentmindedly and listening to even beats of Nyanko's heart leveling with steady rainfall somewhere far far away.
Still, it isn't that bad either.