OLD MEMORIES.
"I figured you'd be here."
Cracking an eye open, Reiko looked up at the silhouette that was blocking out the already dimmed sun. It didn't stay there long, though, moving and dropping down onto the ground next to her in one fluid motion, causing the tall grass around them to sway. Even when he took on his more human form, he remained cat-like and graceful. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that. "Madara. Are you stalking me again?"
With a snort, the demon looked over at her out of the corner of his eye, expression neutral. Reiko could see the glint of amusement, though, and smirked at him a little more. "You reek, Reiko. It's not hard to find you."
Reiko laughed and pushed herself up to her elbows, looking down at him with half-lidded eyes. "I thought all humans smelled bad to you youkai."
A hum of agreement was her response while Madara closed his eyes, hands clasped over his stomach as he relaxed. He was silent for a long moment, and Reiko almost assumed he'd fallen asleep. She shifted, leaning over him a little, and caught the light flick of his ears in her direction. Grinning at his attentiveness, even when he seemed so relaxed, she reached up to touch his ears. Madara pretended to tolerate the harassment, even when she took the tips and moved them herself. She knew he liked the attention. "You especially stink. I think it has something to do with all those lesser spirits you play with."
"You're just jealous, aren't you~?" Reiko felt his ears tense, as though he wanted to pin them back, and decided to let go so she could watch them do that. The only other sign of his annoyance was his brow tightening, ever so slightly, but just watching his ears gave away so much. Laughing at him, she brushed back some of his long, white hair, fingertip tracing the red mark on his forehead. "You want me all to yourself~"
"I want the Book," Madara replied automatically, opening his eyes to look up at her, ears relaxed but still flicked back. "Nothing more, nothing less."
He went cross-eyed, briefly, when Reiko tapped his nose. "You're a bad liar, Madara."
Scoffing, though not looking away, Madara considered her quietly again as she smirked down at him. His attention went elsewhere suddenly, however, his body stiffening up when he felt something plop onto his face. Moving his hands from his stomach, he touched the wet spot on his cheek as he sat up.
"Ah," Reiko held out her own hand, looking up at the sky with a slight frown. "It's raining. Damn. It looked so nice earlier." She started when something fell over her head, obscuring her vision momentarily. Moving her hand, she lifted up the haori that Madara had draped over her, looking at him from under it. A small smile appeared, and despite her face now in shadow, Madara clearly saw it. "Nothing more, nothing less, huh?"
"Nothing more, nothing less," Madara repeated, though didn't seem to mean the words, smirking as he lifted his hands up to adjust the haori calmly. "You humans are pathetically weak at times--" when he was sure that she would be covered up by the clothing, he moved to brush back some of her honey colored hair. "--and I want to defeat you at your best. Getting sick from a little rain would hardly prove challenging."
Laughing, Reiko leaned up towards him, concealing both of their faces under his haori.
Natsume blinked up at his ceiling, eyes adjusting to the darkness he found himself in suddenly. He felt nostalgic, warm, if a bit saddened by the dream--memory?--he awoke from. Turning his head towards the sound of soft snoring, he looked at the shadowy blob that was Nyanko curled up next to him. Reaching out, he gently brushed his fingertips across one of his ears.
Nyanko let out a soft murmur, rolling into the touch, ear twitching before he returned to snoring lightly.
With a tired chuckle, Natsume shifted, resting a hand on the cat's side. Closing his eyes again, he let out a quiet sigh, getting settled once more to return to sleep. "You're a bad liar, Sensei."
Natsume Yuujinchou
Madara/Reiko. Natsume sees something from Nyanko's past with Reiko. This is totally my headcanon, shared with tempesta/skydivider.