With a sigh Mai closes her eyes, counts to ten before reopening them and scanning the blank page before her; the page which was to hold her final thoughts. There were so many things to say, to do. Her thoughts swam back to when she lived at the orphanage, to her friends and...her 'family'; the SPR team. They treated her like normal and welcomed her with warm, opened arms. Just remembering brought tears to her eyes for the first time since she found out her condition, she let the crystals run down her face. Remembering the task at hand, Mai hastily wiped away the tears. With renewed determination to finish in her eyes; she picked up the pen and began to write
To Naru...
As stealthily as she could Mai snuck into the office...late. Her red eyes scanned the room and walked (ran) over to the door next to the little kitchen. She clutched even tighter on the manila envelope in her arms as if it would fly away. She reached out to the handle. Quickly and quietly she closes the door. Lin, who had previously been staring at his laptop, looked up.
Despite little interaction between the two, they've become friends and Mai became reliant on Lin when she was troubled. Lin froze at the sight of her. Her eyes red with dark rings, her clothes which were usually neat and carefully co-ordinated was wrinkled and same as yesterdays, and she seemed to breathe unevenly with the eyes of a rabbit, pleading for help. Had someone hurt her? Anger rose up within him. Mai finally felt a bit more relaxed and fatigue over took and sleep wanted to catch up with her, now. With a soft thump Mai fell to the ground. Hurriedly, Lin rose from his seat and went over to her. He let out a sigh of relief as her saw a normal Mai just sleeping peacefully. Easily lifting her up, he placed her on the sofa in his office. Worried, he looked at the manila envelope. In there could contain answers to his questions. Without thinking of the consequences, he opened it, pulled out the pages and read.
He kept reading despite realising the problem. He couldn't stop himself. An overwhelming sense of sadness and desperation came alive. Realisation washed over. He turned to face Mai. She suddenly seemed so fragile and delicate. Mai, his Mai, when did she become mine? Never that's when, he sternly told himself. Naru and Mai had been a couple for a while now. Realising long ago (along with the others) how Mai felt about Naru. Not long afterwards the two became an item; Lin had held himself back. He wanted things to turn out well for her, but he promised himself if she came to him needing him he would not help, but he knew very well he wouldn't. He may seem like a calm person but inside he was still a man. He knows he shouldn't but Mai was like a rose. No rose was without its thorns. Yet once he's plucked the rose he cannot put it down. Unconsciously his hand strayed to shift strands of hair from Mai's face. Staring at Mai, oh vulnerable Mai, just one kiss and he'll give up for good. Lin lowered his face closer and within a mere breath's-width and he would claim her lips.
It would have happened had Naru not opened the door at that point. He froze at the scene of his beloved lying asleep and his trusted assistant in a situation that should not happen. He just couldn't comprehend how this had happened. The two men remained in a stare-down. Mai's hand suddenly shot up to grip onto Lin's shirt. In a tiny and sweet whisper, that was only Mai's, said "Lin..." Lin's heart skipped beats, all emotions raw on his face. Naru slammed the door and left missing the second half of her message "please...help." as tears began to roll from her eyes.