Transparent (Takashi Natsume x Reader)

Tea (III)

"Pardon the intrusion," Kaname and I said as I walked through Natsume's front door.

"I'll go make us some tea," Natsume said and walked off.

"Let me help you," I offered.

"No it's fine. You should relax," Natsume warmly said.

"I can't really relax unless I'm doing something," I confessed.

"In that case, this way," Natsume gestured for me to follow him. Tanuma, do you want to come, too? he asked.

For some unknown reason there was a snarkey grin plastered on Kaname's face. He answered Natsume's question with, "Nah, you guys go ahead~. I'll go out and get us some cakes."

"Are you okay with going alone?" Natsume asked.

"Yeah. It won't take long anyway," Kaname waved and left.

"Here you wait in the kitchen while I get some tea leaves," Natsume said. I nodded in agreement.

So I waited a few minuets in Natsume's kitchen. But he was taking awhile, so I went to go check on him.

I wasn't just being nosy. I had heard rumors that he passes out at random times, and that he catches colds suddenly and very easily.

So if you think of it as just checking on his health, I was doing a good deed, right?

I slowly walked up the stairs, being careful not to disturb anyone that might have been there, when I heard voices talking. It sounded like Natsume and some middle-aged man.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sensei," Natsume said. 'Sensei? Is it his teacher?' I let my thoughts run wild.

"I'm telling you. Stay away from her. I get an odd feeling whenever I'm with her," the other voice warned.

"What do you mean, 'odd feeling'?" Natsume asked.

"Her aura is similar to yours. She might be able to see-" he unexpectedly stopped mid sentence.

"What is it?" Natsume asked.

The older voice then spoke in a wisper. "She's hiding on the other side of the wall," he said.

I some how mustered up the courage to ask who they were talking about. I turned the corner of the wall and saw Natsume and... Nyanko-sensai?

"Huh?" I asked. I wasn't even sure how to react to that.

"O-oh, um, (Y/N)..." Natsume trailed off.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked.

"N-no one..!"

"But I heard voices!"

"T-that was probably just the wind!" I could tell he was uneasy when he said this. I could also tell he was lying.

"Who was that man? Who were you talking about? Was it me? What do you mean I have a weird aura?!" I fired questions at him.

"Like I told you, I wasn't talking to anyone," Natsume seemed to have calmed down.

"Stop lying!" I almost yelled, "I know you were talking to someone! Why can't you just tell me?!"

Natsume didn't say anything, and made me upset. I felt betrayed. Even though I barely knew him, it hurt. But the look on his face was like he was trying to protect me from something. "Just tell me!" I begged.

"Oh, give it up Natsume. If you don't you'll regret it," the mans voice said.

I looked around frantically, searching for this mysterious man. "She must be more clueless than you," the voice sighed.

Following his voice, I glanced downward. Nyanko-Sensei was moving his mouth at the same time theses words came out, "Whatever, it's not like I care if you know."

"Huh..?" I knelt down. "So... Sensei you're an... Ayakashi?"

"...You know about yokai..?" Natsume asked, nothing short of surprised.

"Why are you keeping an ayakashi as a pet?" I asked bluntly, looking up at Natsume.

"I'm his bodyguard!" Nyanko-sensai corrected.

"... Uh... Does it matter?" I asked.

"Yes, it does! I am his master! I repeat! Master!" Nyanko-sensai corrected once more.

"Wait, didn't you just say you were his bodyguard?" I pondered.

"He's a freeloader," Natsume set these questions right. "Now, can I talk to you privately?" Natsume grabbed his sensei, and dragged him to the corner of the hallway.

I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but I still knew what it was. I knew Natsume was scolding Nyanko-Sensei for telling me.

"Natsume-San, you can see them can't you?" I asked loud enough that he could hear me over his complaints. He turned around, so he was facing me. He seemed to look at anything but my eyes.

He didn't answer. "... It's okay, Natsume." I said kindly. "I can see them, too."

I could almost see the dismay plastered on his face. But the distress faded little, by little until there was a small, but visible, smile in its stead.

"Can you really see them? I was once tricked by an ayakashi. She told me she could see them, and that I wasn't alone. And because I thought she was human, it hurt when I found out that she wasn't," Natsume said.

At first I had no idea how I was supposed to respond, but it didn't take long for me to find out. "I'm not lying," I said as tenderly as I could.

Natsume smiled at me. We gazed into each other's eyes, as if we were searching for each other's souls.

"(Y/N)! Natsume!" I heard Kaname call, ruining the incredible mood which we had created. "Oh, there you are," he peaked his head around the corner and waved.

Natsume and I stared at him momentarily before Natsume asked him, "You knew didn't you?"

Kaname pondered at first, not knowing what he was just asked. Then, like a light bulb being switched on, he quickly answered the previous question. "Yes," he said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Natsume asked. He sounded a little hurt.

"It was my fault," I admitted. And I was right. It was my fault. "When I first came here, Kaname was about to tell me, but I had interrupted him. I also told him not to tell anyone, so... you know," I trailed off.

An uncomfortable silence took over the atmosphere surrounding us. Natsume awkwardly asked, "Um, why don't we go downstairs to finish the tea?"

Kaname and I nodded and followed Natsume back to the kitchen.

----To Be Continued----

Authors note: Yay! I posted two chapters today! I guess I really wanted to get this story out. I haven't gotten any feedback yet, so please comments and vote.