A/N: Okay, wow. I got inspired by the GHHQ exchange fics! So many good ones this year! So here I am experimenting. The draft started all angsty, but my brain was all, "HAH JK YOU CAN'T WRITE ANGST FOR SHIT." So no angst. Maybe it's better that way.

Oh, and there's a Pride and Prejudice quote in there somewhere ;)

Chapter 1

It didn't seem too long ago when they'd both confessed they'd given up.

It seemed clear that he would never see them as more than co-workers, or maybe, if they were being really optimistic, even friends. They both agreed that he was, and probably always will be, married to his work.

But a couple of years after he'd had time to settle down, not as the fake Shibuya Kazuya (with all the secretive baggage of being an insanely powerful, world renowned psychic-with-a-PhD-under-his-belt-and-a-quest-to-find-his-murdered-brother's-body holding him back) but as Oliver Davis, slowly they both began to realize that he was actually quite approachable. If he'd allow it.

And once again their hope returned.

Or maybe it never really left Masako's heart at all.

However, she had to have known that eventually things would turn out this way. Mai and Naru may not have put into words their feelings for each other as of yet (she hadn't heard anything from Mai at least), but they might as well should have.

It was that obvious.

Mai had been the one to chip away at his walls after all, ever since the beginning when they all first met, and any time now it was bound to crumble under her touch.

It hurt at first. But as her relationship with Mai evolved into a genuine relationship, with its up and down, push and pull mechanic that always found its way back into harmony, bringing with it a deeper understanding of each other—as defined by some self-help book she read once—she eventually came to accept the truth. She let go of her long unrequited feelings for Naru and felt completely, and perfectly, and incandescently, happy for her best friend.

One time Mai asked her if she and Naru still went out on 'dates'. Masako had laughed and tried her best to assure her friend that it was entirely platonic and mostly business, but that she'd refrain from going out with him anymore in the future if it made her uncomfortable. Mai had grabbed her hand and told her to do no such thing, that it wasn't her place to demand anything, and that she should do anything she wanted because otherwise, what kind of rivalry would it be?

She couldn't understand then why Mai still egged her on. Maybe Mai enjoyed their playful competition, but she'd had enough. She was finally content to watch them, not with envy, but with simple longing, hoping that maybe someday she'll find someone too.

But as time went on, she realized that she'd been bullshitting herself all along. (And maybe that was why Mai always egged her on, because Mai knew her better than she ever knew herself. Taniyama Mai and her ridiculous, spot-on intuition.)

What she'd done was put herself second to her best friend, learned to become a martyr by sacrificing her own happiness (unachievable as it seemed), because she loved Mai too dearly.

But the truth was: she wasn't longing to find someone. It was always him. And she didn't just watch the two of them with 'simple longing', she watched them with envy.

But accepting that fact meant that sometimes she hated Mai and that ate away at her chest, so she kept it locked away and fooled herself into believing her lie. And it became a lie that wasn't-a-lie, not entirely. However it didn't stop that stabbing pain on her chest from occurring whenever she found the two of them together, which in turn, caused more stabbing pain as the guilt built up. (Once, she asked Ayako if she could be having a heart attack, but unfortunately the miko didn't think the joke funny. Or maybe she didn't even realize it was a joke, given that she'd said it with a straight face. But she definitely did not think it funny when Ayako insisted they rush to the nearest clinic for a diagnosis).

Getting back to the point—why did it have to be so complicated?

Masako struggled with these feelings alone for years, especially that morning when she was suddenly struck by the fact that wow, she was already twenty-four years old. And her love-life was getting absolutely nowhere.

Which is why she almost got knocked out of her chair when Mai suddenly admitted to her with no preamble, "Masako… I don't like feeling like this. And I'm really sorry but… I just need to tell you now because I think you should know. But sometimes there are days where I get so… jealous of you, that I feel that I almost hate you."

They were sitting at a cafe, on a weekend morning, for their usual brunch date.

She just finished swallowing a slice of her pancake when Mai dropped the bombshell. Reaching slowly for her tea, she struggled to keep herself steady and asked, "What in the world for?"

Mai sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "You and Naru… He seems… and tell me the truth, ok? Are you guys dating?"

This time, Masako choked. Mai instantly rushed to her side and patted her back, handing her a glass of water. "Hey, easy!"

She spent a few minutes coughing (a waiter had come out to give them more water and asked if they needed help, much to her embarrassment), and after fighting back the urge of her body to cough just one last time, she looked at Mai and as gracefully as she could muster, emphatically cried, "I beg your pardon?"

Mai quickly shot her hand up in a supplicating manner. "Oh, crap. Please, Masako, I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have—It's not my place—"

"Are you suspecting he is cheating on you, and that I, of all people, would entertain such a thing behind your back?"

Truthfully, that hurt.

"Wha?" Mai frowned in confusion. "What cheating? What do you mean? Why would he be cheating on me, we're not even—" eyes widening, Mai suddenly grabbed her hand and squeezed so hard Masako almost cried out. "—Wait, no! Masako, I'm not like, jealous in the way that I am accusing you! I would never think you'd do that kind of thing! I'm only jealous in the way that I envy your position! Naru and I are not—no, no! Oh, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Did I hurt you?"

Masako could have face-palmed.

Oh.

Her shoulders relaxed and she rubbed her hand. She was thankful to hear that Mai would never think of her being despicable that way. And the way she reacted was genuinely touching and endearing. But furthermore, she was glad to know that Mai and Naru were actually not together. Yet.

And she felt that stabbing pain again.

While she was silently introspecting, she realized Mai was nearly driving herself close to hysteria as she tried to explain herself, but instead of quickly consoling her, Masako kept her face neutral and allowed it to happen. She decided long ago that she liked seeing Mai's flushed, pouty face.

"B-because, you know, most of the time he prefers your company over any of ours, and you guys just always seem so comfortable and content around each other. And also the way he looks at you, it's so gentle and I feel…" Mai gripped her chest tightly. "You know he never does it when he thinks others could see him."

Masako scoffed. "Mai, you must either be really stupid, or you're doing a roundabout way of gloating."

"What! I'm not gloating! And I'm not stupid. He really does, you know." Mai sunk back in her seat and with a bittersweet smile, murmured. "I think he's finally ready to move on from what happened with Gene. Which is great. It's time that he did and I'm truly happy for him. Ah, for you both, I should say."

"But weren't you just complaining about being jealous of me?"

"I wasn't complaining! I was confessing! That insinuates guilt, you know! So I don't want to feel this way, but I do, and I'm telling you so I learn to get over it because I want to be happy for you. Like, truly happy for you. Because I really like you."

Masako began to laugh. Loudly and uncontrollably. She would have been embarrassed of her actions any other time, but right now, she only felt light and free.

"Are you okay? What? What's so funny?"

"You." She wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed herself. "That's so like you, Mai. Did you know I was feeling the exact same way toward you and him and had been internalizing it all these years? But unlike you, I was a coward and decided to turn away from it because I didn't want to think for a second of envying you enough to hate you. I also really like you and didn't want this to come in between us again."

"Years! That's insane, Masako. Tell me these things!"

"Yes, I should have. I'm sorry."

Mai smiled, . "So you felt the same?" then she grinned. "Peas in a pod, you and me, huh?"

"I suppose so."

"So I guess that's out of the way and there's no hard feelings anymore, right?"

"None on my part. Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry again that I kept it bottled inside. If you hadn't said anything…"

Mai grabbed her hand again and squeezed, gently this time. "It's alright, no worries. What's important is we're on the same page again. But...Me and Naru? How so?"

"It is clear to me that Naru has feelings for you."

"Nah, that's impossible. I already confessed to him a long time ago, remember? And I was gently brushed aside and we agreed I was confused and that I liked Gene."

"I don't follow. That was a while ago, so I don't see why it things couldn't be different now. And besides, later on you realized your feelings for Naru were also real, did you not?"

"Yes… but Naru doesn't know that. So all this time, I mean, let's consider for a second that he's actually a normal person-- then wouldn't he think that's too weird? Falling in love with someone who was formerly in-love with your dead twin brother. I mean, you know, supposing he'd think like a normal person and all."

"Well, supposing he is actually a normal person, then he can't help who he falls in love with." Masako sighed. "You should see the way he looks at you. He isn't very emotionally eloquent, but around you… he just seems so content and happy. You should really be more mindful of these things."

"Hey, look who's talking. That's how he is around you."

"Around me? Impossible. He has his eyes on you."

"Why don't we go to the data room and see if we have any actual footage because I swear to you, he looks at you that way. Okay, wow. Are we the weirdest rivals ever, or what?"

They leaned into each other and giggled into their hands, which were still linked together in solidarity. And they stayed there, enjoying each others' company for a while longer.

A/N: Reviews?