I do not own Ghost Hunt. It is all property of Fuyumi Ono.

I'm not sure if the is AU or not. I haven't watched GH in a while, and I need to update myself on the manga. Naru said he'd leave Japan once he found his brother's body. This is my take on what would happen if he did leave. I think Naru departure would really break Mai...

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Crystals of snow twirled in the chilly air and fluttered to the white ground. The sound of terribly sung Christmas carols floated into her ears. The red and green decorations that hung in the cold office glared at her. They didn't belong in his office – but she never stopped putting them up. Somewhere, deep down, she hoped she would hear his voice again, ordering her to take them down.

He should've been here with her. He should've been insulting all the carolers that stopped by at his office. He should've been calling her an idiot and yelling out dozens and dozens of tea requests. He should've been complaining about how cold the air was in his soft voice. Mai never thought the day would come when she would want him to call out to her for tea.

One year ago, he sat under a Christmas tree with her, reluctantly peeling wrapping paper off presents and muttering something that resembled 'damn carolers, ruining my sleep…' or grumbling about taking everyone out to dinner since it was Christmas.

Now, she sat curled up on a couch, staring at the only picture she had of him – she remembered when the picture was taken. Ayako had suggested that they all go out for a little team bonding and after much persuasion Naru had agreed after confirming Takigawa was the one paying, not him. She cradled the picture in her palms and stared at his face.

Only a blind person would say he wasn't handsome – a pale face framed with dark hair. He had perfectly chiseled features, almost as if they were carved out specially for him. His eyes were the best part of his face, undoubtedly – deep violet orbs with flecks of pale gray and midnight blue. If she stared hard enough, she could get lost in them. She would give anything to find herself lost in them again.

Some days she would fall into an uneasy, dreamless sleep on the couch, holding the picture close to her and waking up with terrible cramps in her neck or pounding in her head. Occasionally Ayako or Takigawa or Yasuhara would call just to check up on her or take her out so she could get some fresh air. She appreciated their efforts to help her, she honestly did, but they had lives as well. Yasuhara had college and both Ayako and Takigawa had jobs. It seemed like time had stopped only for her.

She had lost her chance. She had always wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but now that seemed impossible. He had told them he would be leaving, but even after knowing that, his departure came as a shock to all of them. She had overslept as usual, that morning and got to the SPR office, only to find it locked with a key stuck in the keyhole. Upon unlocking the door and pushing it open, she found only the black leather couch that he often slept on, his desk and rows and rows of empty shelves.

He had left, without so much as a goodbye. Hadn't the SPR meant anything to him?

She never stopped thinking he would return and she would get the happy ending she had always wanted. Her family would be reunited. Ayako Takigawa, Yasuhara and even Masako had tried to snap her out of it and gave up eventually.

I never got to tell him I love him…

She had wasted an entire year waiting for him; waiting for someone who would never return to her or put her at ease. Madoka told her that he did care for his friends – he just had a strange way of showing it. Was this how you showed you cared about a friend?

The snowfall grew heavier. Mai walked over to the frosted window and placed her hands on the glass. She stared at the white scene and smiled. She bought her fingers to the frosted glass and began to form words on the window, ignoring the numbing sensation that ran down the length of her right index finger.

I love Naru.

"Do you love me?" She asked the slightly smudged words on the hazy window.

She would never know.

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Reviews and ConCrit are appreciated :). This really didn't turn out the way I expected it to.../. I think it turned out okay, though...