Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt isn't mine.

The Not so Idyllic Life of Mai Taniyama

Well today I say sweet things
but tomorrow,
I'll be making up excuses
for my actions because it's been so long
since I've been in love,
that special kind of feeling.
Guess my best excuse,
I'm on the wagon again.

-Green Day's "On the Wagon

Chapter One: Point Proven

"Naru, do you ever sleep?" worried Mai, after seeing her boss in the same clothes as the day before for the umpteenth time.

"Does it look like it?" he questioned, rubbing his chin before returning to his files, waving Mai away with his right hand. Was that…stubble? His cheerful assistant sighed, closed the door behind her, and walked over to SPR's kitchenette. She then set about preparing him tea, with maximum caffeine of course.

"Tea, Mai!" Naru called from his office, just as Mai lifted the screeching kettle off the stove. She grinned at his impatience, winced at the ragged sound of his voice, and bit her lip as she picked up the too-hot kettle without a cloth between her palm and the handle.

"Ouch!" she muttered, dropping the kettle to the tiled floor. Tea flew everywhere as the offending instrument burst on the floor. Some of the scalding liquid splashed Mai's legs. "Ah, ah, OW!" she cried, clutching her now burning legs in pain.

Seconds later, Naru burst from his office, responding to her cry, and ran to Mai, who was now sobbing hysterically on the floor. He looked at the steaming kettle rolling aimlessly across the floor away from Mai's tea soaked legs and put two and two together.

"N-naru," Mai whimpered, "it hurts!"

"I know, I know. Stay calm, alright?" Naru said softly, as he swiftly knelt to the floor and picked Mai up, cradling her to his chest. He set her on the kitchen counter with her red legs in the sink, and turned the faucet on. Mai sighed as he rubbed her smarting legs with the gold water.

"Phew…" Mai wiped sweat from her brow as her legs returned from lobster red to a semi-normal, albeit slightly splotchy, color. "That could have been painful…"

"You idiot!" Naru fumed, exhaustion forgotten, "What were you doing?"

"It was hot." His assistant explained this simply, as if the heat in itself was enough to explain her dangerous actions.

"And so am I! You could have seriously injured yourself!"

"Wow," Mai looked up wonderingly at Naru, "You really are a narcissist."

"...and your point is?"

"Proven."

"Can I have my tea now?" Naru backed away as Mai swung her dripping legs over the kitchen counter. She smiled as he tossed her a towel.

"Don't you mean to say 'may I please have my tea now?'" The brunette teased as she dried off her legs and then set about mopping the floor. Naru didn't respond, but simple continued to watch as Mai's brown hair escaped from the barrettes she had attempted to pin it back with. He yawned and leaned against the kitchen counter, wishing he'd taken a break from work to sleep last night.

"Tired?" Mai asked, looking up at the circles under Naru's eyes. "Okay, stupid question. But still, why don't you just take a break?"

"I don't have time. I'm saving lives here, Mai."

The assistant snorted, "Lives Naru? I think you're exaggerating."

"I don't think you realize how serious I am. Malevolent spirits don't sleep, Mai. They don't stop torturing innocent victims just because I want to take a break. As I said before, I don't have time to sleep."

Mai smiled faintly, only Naru would consider working for SPR a lifesaving job. "Why don't you just become a doctor, Naru?"

She could have sworn he shivered, "I don't like blood."

"You're afraid of blood?" Mai reigned in her need to laugh, suddenly mindful of hurting his feelings.

"Yes." Naru replied curtly, "May I have my tea now?"

"Of course," His assistant handed him a steaming cup of tea, fresh from the extra kettle she'd set on the stove minutes before. Naru smiled: nobody, not even his mother, made better tea.

"Thank you." Naru began to head back to his office but turned at the sound of his assistant's voice.

"Get some sleep tonight."

Mai could have sworn he smiled at her. "Alright, Mai."

Author's Note: Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! This is going to be a series of workplace happenings that encourage a budding romance between Naru and Mai. It'll have a bit of an interwoven storyline, but nothing too complicated. Mostly fluff! Basically, this is the result of my procrastination...anyway, please review and tell me what you think. Thoughts, ideas, corrections? I want them all! Revised September 27, 2009.

~SL~