Learning Curve
by volta arovet
a Natsume Yuujinchou story in which everyone (but mainly Tanuma) is embarrassed at some point
Rating: PG
Warnings: a touch silly

Everyone has their special talents. For example, Natsume was very good at seeing spirits.

For example, Tanuma was good at watching Natsume.

In this instance, Tanuma was specifically good at watching Natsume be choked by nothing but air. Natsume flailed and gasped and just when Tanuma, running at full speed, finally reached Natsume, Natsume gave the empty space a surprisingly strong punch. Something in that punch released him, and he bent over double, desperately drawing in air.

"Are you okay?" Tanuma asked uselessly, moving his hand towards Natsume's back but not quite daring to touch him.

Natsume gave him a weak grin. "I'm fine, don't worry. Some spirits don't realize that if they want something, they should try asking politely first," Natsume said with a pointed glare at what, to Tanuma, was again nothing but air.

"Oh," Tanuma said quietly, and allowed Natsume to change the subject. As they walked to the arcade, Nyanko bounding up behind them and bragging about the butterfly he had just caught, Tanuma added yet another item to his long list of Things About Natsume.

Tanuma was good at applying previous lessons to new situations.

In this instance, Natsume was sprawled on the ground, arms and legs waving wildly, and even though it was a cloudy day, there was a strange shadow on the center of his back. Tanuma took a moment to assess the situation and, when Natsume quite clearly yelled at something to get off him, decided on a course of action.

He jogged to Natsume's side and kicked the air above Natsume's back.

He kicked twice more, at different elevations, just to make sure.

"Nice height!" Nyanko cheered.

Tanuma offered Natsume his hand. "Was that...okay?" Tanuma asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," Natsume said, taking his hand and letting Tanuma help him to his feet.

"So," Tanuma said awkwardly. "Ice cream?"

"Right!" Natsume said, and smiled at him. "My treat. After all, people who actually help others instead of rolling around in the grass definitely deserve ice cream don't they?" he added, giving Nyanko a pointed look.

As they walked to the parlor and Nyanko protested Natsume's grave mistreatment of him, Tanuma added something to his mental list of Ways I Can Help Natsume.

Tanuma was good at getting things completely wrong.

For instance.

Natsume's face was red, he was coughing, and his hands were around his throat.

Without missing a beat, Tanuma ran to Natsume's side and gave three solid punches to the air in front of Natsume.

"You okay?" Tanuma asked Natsume.

Both Natsume and Nyanko gave Tanuma a look that made him stop what he was doing.

"What?"

Natsume kept coughing, and waved at Nyanko to explain.

"While that was really, really funny, when someone's choking it's a better idea to just hit them on the back," Nyanko said smugly.

"Oh!" Tanuma went red. "Sorry. Sorry!"

"It's okay," Natsume said when he finally got his coughing under control, even though Tanuma knew this was one of those things that really wasn't okay. Natsume offered a bag to Tanuma. "Peanut?"

Tanuma took one. "You sure they're safe?" he asked just before he ate it.

The warmth of the sun and the salt on his tongue and the sound of Natsume's laughter didn't fit on any list--they were simple sensations, not facts, and they weren't really useful in understanding Natsume or the spirits--but he decided to put them on a new list, just so he'd never have to let them go.