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Natsume was in trouble.
Trouble was a broad term, one that encompassed many states of Natsume's being. Trouble was always falling asleep in class, tuckered out by name after name after name; trouble was being chased through the woods, through the streets, through the house by something nobody else could possibly see; trouble was getting dirty from tumbling down hills; trouble was being in danger.
Right now, trouble was Shibata.
"Seriously? He just showed up with it one day?" The corners of Shibata's eyes crinkled as he grinned, leaning forward towards Touko and Shigeru, tie narrowly missing the plate of food in front of him. Somewhere between first stepping into the house and sitting down he had decided to make this place home, even though he had invited himself over, and Natsume had protested it greatly. Shibata was, as ever, too pushy to care. "Naaaatsume..."
When Shibata dragged out his name, Natsume slinked in his chair as if it were a curse. "Well...!" Worse than anything else, Natsume hated to admit it was true. He did just show up with Nyanko-sensei, and the Fujiawaras welcomed him in happily anyway, and the rest was history. "He was hungry."
It was a pout more than a defense. Touko laughed and Shigeru laughed too, and as though it were infectious, Shibata and Natsume found themselves laughing along too. The only one who didn't laugh was Nyanko-sensei, who was too occupied with getting his face out of the empty jar he had gotten himself stuck in.
"Geez, you haven't changed one bit," Although Natsume had taken to staring anywhere but him, he could still hear the smile in Shibata's words. He would be envious if it weren't clearly teasing him. "He was like this recently with me, too. See, I had some issues with a girl, who was secretly an ay--"
As with all issues, Shibata's big mouth could be shut with a swift kick in the ankle. Just hard enough to distract him.
"Secretly an idol!"
Natsume smacked his palm against his face. Touko and Shigeru seemed far more interested in the story now, Touko leaning closer to Shibata and mirroring his body language while Shigeru's eyebrows shot towards the ceiling.
"An idol? How exciting! Natsume-kun, you never told us about that." She clapped her hands together, and Natsume rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Shibata's eyes darted from Touko to Natsume, then from Natsume to Shigeru, and then back to Natsume.
He clapped as well. Shibata was so similar to Touko that Natsume found himself thinking of the other while talking to one, even unintentionally. Touko was more patient and kind, but they had the same mannerisms, and could both be stubborn when it came to matters of himself, as embarrassing as that was to admit. Sometimes it felt nice to be doted on.
"The reason he didn't tell you is because I asked him to keep it a secret! Uh, idols are, very, uh," He was floundering. Natsume hadn't had the pleasure of seeing this side of him before, but now that he could, he was enjoying it. He turned his attention fully to Shibata (after, of course, Nyanko-sensei was freed from the jar), and watched.
"Very?" Shigeru asked. Curiosity oozed from his words.
"Secretive!"
Natsume couldn't help it. He burst into laughter so full and true that he had to excuse himself for a moment, gathering himself in the halls as he battled through waves of giggles. Shibata's face turned red. If you had asked him why, he would say that it was embarrassment of being laughed at.
It was not embarrassment.
"I've never heard him laugh like that before," He mumbled, dumbly, eyes transfixed on the wall connecting to the hallway. Not when they were kids. Not when they had reconnected. He had never heard Natsume laugh.
Touko placed a hand on her cheek as her own laugh tapered off. "It's a nice laugh, isn't it? We've been hearing it so often recently."
Shigeru nodded and smiled. Shibata felt the love radiating off of it even from across the table. "He's really grown a lot."
As Shigeru placed his hand on top of Touko's other hand, Shibata knew what it meant to feel warmth and love. He had felt it from his own parents before too, his friends and his girlfriends, but he had never felt it so strongly as he did with the Fujiawaras and their son. It was then that it struck him that the time he has spent with Natsume as of late was the happiest he had ever seen him.
The thought filled him with happiness.
Natsume slowly returned to his seat, face red from the laughter. Shibata decided he'd like to do, would do, anything to keep that glow emanating. So he took a deep breath and began to play the clown.
"It wasn't that funny!" He crossed his arms and puffed air into his cheeks, and beamed silently when Natsume's smile grew wider. "C'mon... How would you have described it, huh? Huh?" He reached over and poked his shoulder, to which Natsume gently swatted his hand away, still smiling. He didn't say anything in response, just continuing to shake his head. Shibata was used to the quiet from him. He hardly took it personally anymore.
"As I was saying, idols are secretive! That's why I asked Natsume not to tell. But he really helped me out. She was a cool girl, but... she had to move far away, so we couldn't see each other anymore. Natsume helped me with that."
Touko's eyes darted to Natsume. She smiled, and then turned back to Shibata, her gaze softening. "It's always hard when someone moves away. I'm glad you had Natsume-kun with you."
"Touko-san..." Natsume's voice was a bit of a whine. Shibata instantly looked over to see his expression, but Natsume had looked away, suddenly interested on a spot on the wall. Shibata could swear he saw red at the tips of his ears, though.
"Y-Yeah! Me too." He replied, eyes still fixed on Natsume. He didn't look away, even as Touko giggled softly.
The world was silent for a moment. Natsume stayed staring at the wall, Shibata at him, and the Fujiwaras at the both of them. Then, as though he had waited for the perfect opportunity to strike, Nyanko-sensei leapt onto the table, grabbed Shibata's plate off the table, and sprinted away.
"Nyanko-sensei!"
"Nyangoro!"
"Nyankichi!"
And then, as though he had taken far longer to process,
"Wh-Oi! Hey! Come back here, you stupid cat!"
Shibata was the first to sprint after the cat. Natsume followed, with Touko and Shigeru carefully following, trailing not far behind.
Even as he ran, Shibata thought that he'd like to come back again sometime.