He felt a growing headache as he watched Hiiragi disappear into the streets. - HURT/COMFORT HINTS I SEE YOU (yes I will reproduce every single line of h/c in here!! It is very important to me and I appreciate it very much!!)
"Go to sleep, master," Urihime said, and he didn't argue. For one, he was so unaware of his own surroundings that he didn't want to risk responding to her out loud in case anyone could hear. Instead he nodded and piled up his jacket against the headrest-- he should make a note to buy a travel pillow at the station on the way out, if he had time-- and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. - yesyesyes exhausted Natori, this is all very good and very relevant to my interests tyvm author
He woke up two hours later feeling no better rested than before - <3<3<3<3<3
"You don't look well, Natori-san," - THIS IS SO GOOD this whole scene is great
He shook his head slightly-- he was more tired than he thought-- and went on. - I said I would reproduce every line to show my appreciation and I am not sorry
As if to prove it, Natori spent the next twenty minutes laying down as much protection as he could around the small inn. And Kagami-san could come find him directly if he had a problem with how Natori chose to use his abilities. - and him overworking himself even more on top of that!!
"Are you really going back and forth between Tokyo and Kyoto?" he heard all of a sudden from behind his head. He was crouching over his work on the street, the lanterns outside the bars casting everything in a reddish glow. "That's foolish even for you, Natori." - see Natori, even Matoba is concerned!! And here too - Matoba was smiling, in that same detached way he smiled at everything. He might have just been fishing for information, waiting to see how-- if-- Natori responded - I really am absolutely reading all this as Matoba's extremely awkward attempt at extending an overture of concern/worry towards Natori, even if Natori is mostly oblivious.
They'd had their first kiss in Kyoto. - and then this!! THIS LINE. I love the reference to their past relationship, Natori remembering their first kiss. It's all just so cute and a little sad, with the description of how awkward but sweet (not literally) it was - He remembered that Seiji had flour on his lip, because he hadn't bothered to wipe it off. He couldn't remember what flavor it had been. Seiji didn't taste sweet or like mochi. Seiji didn't taste like anything at all, but maybe that was just because Shuuichi had been so focused on not bumping their noses together that he didn't have time to dwell on it..
Natori wouldn't ever be able to recreate that moment when it had mattered, when he'd been bad at it. When it had been just the two of them, Seiji with his hair whipping around in the breeze off the water, Shuuichi with his school jacket slung around his waist in the hopes that no one would recognize him or what he was doing. Shuuichi had instinctively closed his eyes when their lips touched, but he was sure that Seiji had kept his open. - and generally the entire description of their first kiss - Natori closing his eyes, and the wistfulness that he would never be able to recreate that moment again and the implications of those feelings back then. And then the bittersweet ending before it ever really started T_T
He woke up with a start to Sasago shaking his shoulder and urging him off the train before the conductor came to check in on him. He gave himself permission to be a few extra minutes late to set in order to buy a coffee from a vending machine. He barely remembered drinking it; it took everything he had to present himself as a normal human being who did normal human being things, like sleep a normal amount in the same city where he'd spent the day. - and then back to the present with more exhaustion!! <3
Matoba was still recognizable, even in his mask. His stupid hair was like a calling card just begging for something to grab it in a fight. But that was none of Natori's business. - hahaha this was such a cute moment in an otherwise serious scene, and I like how Natori's general irritation that is reserved specially for Matoba even extends to a description of his hair :P AND THEN!! This!! Natori didn't think. He launched himself at Matoba to get his body in between him and the attacker, ignoring the sudden start of his shiki as he did so. The thing's outstretched claws snagged gently against a few strands of Matoba's ponytail before digging deep into Natori's shoulder. The second it pierced his skin, it was clear that something was wrong. The crowd around him was suddenly muffled and distorted, as if his head had been shoved underwater. Poisoned, Natori thought, or something like it. He opened his mouth to try to say something along those lines, but he couldn't find the air to make his voice heard. He tried reaching out one shaking hand, but found he was already collapsed on the ground. The last thing he remembered was Matoba's face as he lifted the kitsune mask before he blacked out. YESSS Natori taking the hit for Matoba!! And not just injury, but POISON. And then Natori fainting - probably from the poison but I'm betting also the exhaustion that had been building up through the fic didn't help. I love this I love this ty author
He sensed a presence alongside him more than saw it, a comforting blackness that chased the violent pandemonium to the edges of his awareness and gave him a moment to rest. - and this!! I'm absolutely reading that as Matoba's presence, and I love that it calms Natori enough to let him finally give into his exhaustion and rest.
And then Matoba's bedside vigil!! Natori finally waking up and being so confused at Matoba being there, the mention of Matoba having watched all(?) of Natori's movies. And Natori maybe finally realising that there's still something between them here - Matoba was-- serious, Natori realized. Or maybe Natori had hit his head when he fainted, and his judgment was off? Rather than pursue the image of Matoba Seiji and his posse of faceless shiki sitting in a regular movie theater surrounded by young girls watching Natori flirt on screen, he turned his head to puzzle over the windows. The light was bright enough to make his eyes hurt. Too bright for early morning.
..And then being distracted by work. I enjoy this workaholic Natori very much <3. And also this: Natori sat up in a sudden rush of adrenaline, ignoring the way the room swayed around him in vertigo. - <3<3<3<3
There were things the head of the Matoba couldn't do, and that included driving across half the country for... for no reason. To support the head of another clan doing something completely unrelated to exorcisms, and not extracting any benefit from it. - aaaaaa finally he's getting it!! and asking Matoba out to dinner! These two idiots T_T finally getting somewhere after their hopeless attempts at (mis)communication throughout. I would have loved to see something more overtly romantic between these two in the present day as well, but I suppose that may have taken another century with how emotionally constipated they are T_T But I'm glad that they're finally (very, very slowly) starting to open up to each other again!!
Thank you so much for this, author!! It was a great ride with such a cool concept/mission, Natori and Matoba being idiots who refuse to admit that they're probably already more than halfway in love, and of course, the hurt/comfort :P
Thank you for such a detailed and lovely comment(s)!
Natori throughout this fic: I am an ADULT who has PUT AWAY childish things like ROMANCE WITH MY CRUSH and SLEEPING NORMALLY Matoba, flirting with him the entire time: yeah you tell em, Shuuichi-san
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