A/N: I needed a break from writing my other story, so I decided to write this. I intend this only as a one-shot. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.
"I can't believe the day is finally here, Koujo," Mai said, holding the man's hands.
"Me either," Lin told her, feeling tremors run through his body. His emotions were all over the place and he felt like crying.
"Me and Naru, huh?" Mai laughed nervously, "Who would have thought?"
Lin was quiet for several moments, then he spoke up. "Mai… I need to tell you something."
"Yes?" Mai asked expectantly.
"I… " Lin began, but the words caught in his throat. "You look beautiful in that dress," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Straightening, he looked into her eyes. "Naru is a very lucky man," he told her solemnly.
Mai's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh..." she said quietly. "Thank you."
Lin felt his heart clench. He could tell she was expecting him to say something else. But no matter how much he wanted, he couldn't bring himself to ruin this day. Mai had chosen Naru.
"Koujo, I… " she attempted.
"Yes?" He questioned, his heart suddenly lifting in hope.
"I wanted to thank you for always being there," she told him. It wasn't what she wanted to say.
"There's no place I'd rather be," he told her, lightly squeezing her hands.
The pair stood together in silent sorrow. Neither could bear to hurt Naru. They loved him too much to admit how they really felt. But it was killing them inside.
"You're sure this is what you want?" He asked suddenly, unable to hold in that simple question.
"...Is there a reason I shouldn't?" Mai asked, on the verge of tears.
"I don't know," he told her, unsure of how she felt for him.
There was a knock on the door and the pair separated, feeling slightly guilty.
"It's time you two," said Takigawa, as he leaned his head inside the door. He couldn't help but notice the air of melancholy surrounding the pair. It looked as if they were preparing for a death sentence.
Takigawa knew the two had some sort of attraction towards each other, that much was obvious, but he hadn't realized just how deeply they cared for each other. He couldn't image why Mai was still going through with this if it made her that unhappy.
Sure, Naru had dragged them all to England, planned a huge ceremony and invited nearly one hundred people, including his mother and father, but if Mai was in love with someone else, she definitely needed to break it off.
"Mai..." Takigawa said sadly.
"I'm ready, Bou-san," she said quickly, latching onto his arm. She refused to look back at Lin.
Takigawa spared a glance towards the tall man. The man looked forlorn, having abandoned all hope for a future with the woman he loved.
"You better hurry out there, Best Man," he said apologetically. He could only image how much torture this was going to be for the pair, being so near yet so far away.
Takigawa led Mai to the door just before the aisle. He could feel Mai trembling with the effort not to cry.
'She looks too pitiful,' Takigawa thought sadly. He felt bad for the girl.
"Mai," he said, finally unable to bear her pain. She was much stronger, emotionally, than he would ever be. "It will only hurt Naru-bou more if you marry him when you're in love with Lin."
Startled, Mai snapped her head up to look at Takigawa. "What are you talking about?" She asked quickly, fear in her eyes.
"Don't pretend," he told her seriously, "It's obvious. Naru-bou is too sharp not to have noticed by now. You won't be able to hide it from him."
"Don't be ridiculous, Bou-san," she laughed forcefully. "Besides, Lin-san doesn't feel that way about me."
"Regardless of how Lin feels, you owe it to Naru to be true to your own feelings," he told her sternly.
Suddenly, the wedding music began to play. Mai tugged Takigawa along, trying to ignore his words. As she walked down the aisle, Mai tried her best to keep her eyes on Naru. But she couldn't help letting her eyes stray to the man beside him. He wore a pained expression as he made eye contact with her. She felt her heart clench and she attempted to ease the pain by pressing her bouquet firmly to her chest.
She quickly looked back to Naru. He wore a slight smile, but his eyes were sad. He briefly reminded her of Gene. It was in that instant that she knew, she couldn't marry Naru. She loved him as a dear brother, but nothing would ever make her love him the way she loved Lin. It was as she reached the altar that she finally made her decision. Naru reached his hands out to Mai and she took them.
"Mai… " Naru said quietly.
"Naru," Mai said so only he could hear. "I'm sorry, but I can't marry you."
"I know," he told her, squeezing her hands reassuringly before releasing them.
Mai turned away from Naru, hurriedly making her way down the aisle. The two men at the altar stood side by side, watching her leave, one slightly confused, the other completely relieved.
"Don't you think you should go after her," Naru said to Lin.
"Naru?" Lin asked frowning.
"It's time you manned up," Naru said slowly, without inflection.
"You knew?" Lin asked.
"Who do you think I am?" Naru asked quietly. "Now go after her, idiot, and don't mess it up."
With those words, Lin took off down the aisle, heedless of the crowd. Naru remained standing, thanking whatever divine being that had a hand in this final outcome. If Mai had left it up to him to break it off, Naru just might have married her out of spite. At least now he'd be able to attract some wealthy donors that took pity on his sad situation.
'What an ordeal this turned out to be,' Naru thought pensively. He had never intended it to go this far. He had only meant to give Mai and Lin a push in the right direction. 'Who knew they'd be so stubborn,' he thought in irritation. He was amazed they actually waited until the very last moment.
'She even made it all the way to the altar!' Naru laughed inwardly. He had to keep it together otherwise people would think he was having an emotional break down. 'Sorrow is good,' he told himself, 'Insanity is too far.' With that thought, Naru feigned a sorrowful expression.
Outside, Lin had easily caught up with Mai. She had quit running an eighth of the way down the lane.
"Mai!" Lin called out.
Mai looked back quickly, verifying the owner of the voice. Seeing it was Lin, she turned, waiting for him to come within speaking range.
"I can't do it, Koujo," Mai told him when he was in front of her. "I thought I could forget about you, but I can't."
"Mai," Lin said softly, placing his hands on either side of her, "I wouldn't have let you."
"Really?" Mai asked surprised.
"Yes," he said, laughing at the timing of everything. "I was just about to stop you when you ran away."
"I think it saved us all some embarrassment," Mai admitted.
"Naru knew all along," Lin sighed, brushing his hand over his face.
"Then why… " Mai asked confused.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Lin told her. "But whatever the reason, he didn't seem too upset after you left."
"I'm going to kill him!" Mai said, throwing her hands up and spinning in exasperation.
"Well, before you do that in front of his parents and all our potential donors," Lin said, pulling her back to him, "I need to tell you something."
"Oh?" Mai said, hopeful.
"Yes, Mai," he told her quietly. "I've been a coward. I couldn't get up the courage to tell you how I felt and then when Naru asked you out, I abandoned all hope."
"So?" Mai urged.
"So," Lin said smiling, "I love you." He desperately hoped he hadn't read the signals wrong.
Mai smiled brightly, easing the man's worries. "I love you, too," Mai said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
He held her tightly. The two were the most content they had been in months. There was no place they'd rather be.