This piece of fan fiction fluff is in response to Snavej's Fluff Week Challenge.
Day 4: Lesson
- x X x -
I own nothing . . . don't believe me, ask my cats!
- x X x -
Sorry I'm late. It was hectic the end of last week and I spent the weekend tweaking this.
- x X x -
Mai was so mad, her face was flaming red. Her hands were clenched to her sides. Her body was shaking. Her breath came out in large puffs, but she didn't notice. Neither did she notice how cold the room was.
"I have had enough. You are the most annoying ghost I have ever met. You are dead. Your family is waiting for you. Go!"
"I want to stay with you," the little girl ghost smiled at her mischievously. "I want you to be my new mommy."
"No. You really need to move on. Your real mom wants to see you."
"But you're more fun."
"You have colored my hair this horrendous pink." Mai held out a chunk of bight pink hair from her scalp. "You cut my favorite outfit to shreds. You stole my clothes from the bathroom so I had to run down the hall with only a towel and my boss saw me. I don't want you to stay here."
"You don't love me, Mommy Mai?" Mai took a deep breath. This ghost had manipulated her every moment of this case. Mai took a deep breath. She couldn't remember a time when she was so angry. Taking a deep breath, Mai focused on letting the anger go.
"I want the best for you. That's all." Mai said softly. The ghost nodded and ran to her, giving her a hug. She stepped away, started to glow brightly and faded away.
Mai sat down heavily on the floor.
- x X x -
"I hope Mai's learned her lesson," Ayako said as she turned away from the monitors. "Sometimes it's best to exorcise the ghost quickly."
"She wasn't hurting anyone." Masako disagreed with the idea of exorcism. "Mai needed to confront her sooner."
"Hey, big boss, I didn't know you got a show of Mai in a towel. Why didn't you share?" Yasu asked Naru who was furiously writing in his notebook. He didn't dare look up because of the warmed in his cheeks. He was just glad Mai didn't mention the ghost ripping the towel off her, giving him a full frontal view that he'd been unable to get out of his head for the last two days.
- x X x -
He knew they needed to talk about it, but it had to wait until after the case. For this reason, he was currently standing outside her apartment. He thought it could wait until the next day, but had ended up here. He knocked on the door, intent to have the discussion and return home. A click indicated Mai was unlocking the door.
"Naru, why are you here?" Mai asked, peeking through the slit between the door and frame. Her pink hair was even more shocking than it had been on the case.
"We need to talk," Naru said.
"Can this wait until tomorrow? I need to dye my hair to its normal color."
"It would be better to get everything out in the open now." Naru said, impatient to get out of the hall.
"Fine," Mai threw open the door. Naru walked in. She closed and locked the door behind him. She placed the towel she was holding onto the countertop. After placing a pot of water on the stove, she turned around to find Naru watching her. She jumped slightly. Naru smirked and she glared at him.
"I don't know why we need to discuss anything. It happened, it's over." Mai folded her arms over her chest.
"I need to do an experiment," Naru said, looking at her lips. Mai shifted uncomfortably as he moved closer and bent down. His lips met hers softly before he pulled away. Her cheeks were pink and she was breathing heavier.
"That's an experiment?" Naru nodded. "Well?"
"I need to do it again," he said as he bent down and kissed her again. This time, it lasted longer. Mai followed him as he pulled away, standing on her tip toes to kiss him back. He wrapped his arms around her. She pressed herself against him. Afer a few minutes, they pulled away slightly. Mai's face flamed as she realized her hands were around his neck. She stared into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking. The teapot whistled. Mai pulled away and made two cups of tea.
"So, are you done with your experiment?" she asked as she handed him a full teacup.
"Not quite, but it's a start. You can't do an experiment once, idiot. You need to see if you have duplicatable results." Mai looked confused as she sipped her tea.
"I really need to do something with my hair. I don't want to get in trouble at school tomorrow." Naru nodded and put his empty teacup down. He grabbed the towel she had put down.
"Where is your bathroom?"
"The room on the right."
"Let's fix your hair."
"Eh?"
"Mai, I'm offering to help you dye your hair. I'm assuming you haven't done this before." She shook her head.
"And you have?"
"Gene's hair was a darker pink."
"He dyed your hair?" Mai was shocked.
"No," Naru smirked as he walked into her bathroom. She wanted to ask for the story, but had a feeling Naru wouldn't share. Mai stood in the doorway. Her bathroom seemed smaller than normal.
"Naru, I can do it myself." Mai didn't want to be in the small bathroom with him. She was confused about his experiments and needed time to figure out what was happening. He pulled her to him and kissed her again. She felt him shifting her around. When he pulled away, she was in front of the sink.
"Was that part of your experiment?"
"No."
"Then why did you kiss me again?"
"I wanted to. Mai, you really are an idiot. Bend over the sink. I need to apply the color to your hair and it will keep any drips from staining the floor or your clothes." Mai grumbled and moved over the sink. She closed her eyes as she felt Naru's experienced fingers quickly applied the color and wrapped her shoulders in the towel.
"Now we have to wait for the color to take. What do you think we should do?" Her face turned red. Naru nodded and pulled her close.