A/N: No GH beta, as usual. I don't own. I hope you enjoy, as this is only my second foray into GH fiction.
O
"Even the wisest men make fools of themselves about women, and even the most foolish women are wise about men."
-Theodore Reik
O
"Mai!" he shouts as he hears the soft click of the front door. "Tea!"
There is a shuffle, the clink of her backpack and jacket being dropped on her desk, the quiet sigh of her footsteps.
"You're becoming more impatient, Naru!" he hears her shout from the kitchen.
He doesn't deign a response, instead frowning at the file he currently peruses. After a few minutes she appears in his doorway holding a cup of tea and a scone wrapped in a napkin. He stares pointedly at it.
"I don't like sweets."
Mai rolls her eyes. "Your tea, highness," she says sarcastically with a flourish. "And at least try it. I think you'll like it."
He eyes it like a particularly belligerent charm, studying the crisped surface and dotted fruits. He glances back up at Mai to see her watching him with a quirked brow. It's an imitation of his own expression, he knows, done to irritate him. It would be more effective if she were taller than five feet and not wearing a flirty little skirt with knee high socks.
"Get to work, Mai," Naru says, effectively dismissing her. She snorts and leaves, slamming the door behind her.
O
It's the anniversary of the Gene's funeral and the office is exceedingly loud. So much so that Naru is tempted to kick everyone out and lock the front door after them. The din grates on his senses, his usual stoic calm slipping away piece by brittle piece.
Finally his patience explodes and Naru stalks to the door, ripping it open.
"This is a professional office," he hisses, "not a celebratory party. Get. Out."
He slams the door shut, ignoring the disgruntled murmurs. He stares at the computer screen blankly, until is reverie is interrupted by the soft click of his door. Mari steps in cautiously, watching his face as though approaching a lion in his cave. He has nothing to say to her, so he remains quiet as she pads to his side of the desk.
"We know what day it is, Naru," she murmurs gently. "We're not oblivious."
Naru looks away. "That is none of your business."
"Working isn't going to make it go away."
"There is nothing to make go away."
"Don't be an idiot!" She explodes, then takes a calming breath. Her delicate hand reaches to rest on his shoulder like some kind of embrace. He stiffens. "I didn't mean that," she whispers. "I just want you to know they're trying to help, in their own way."
Her hand is a hot brand that he can feel through jacket, shirt and undershirt. All his senses focus on that single spot. He nods stiffly.
Mai smiles softly, then moves away from his desk, leaving the office in silence. Outside, the noise starts up again.
O
Naru doesn't pay much heed when Lin tells him Mai will be absent from the office for the day. A cold, he says. Nothing serious.
Naru has to prepare his own tea, which tastes bitter and weak, and irritates him, but other than that he is not put out. Silence is a heavy fog over the office, thick and prominent as he flips through files and studies the most recent research on clairvoyance. Perhaps he could find a copy for Mai - she could, maybe, actually control her odd array of powers for once.
The second day of her absence sends his calm boat of irritation rocking. At nine in the morning he finds himself leaving the sterile lair of his office to search for Lin.
"Mai," he says to Lin in greeting.
"Sick," Lin replies, not taking his eyes from his computer, his fingers still tick-tick-ticking across the keyboard.
Naru is not satisfied with the answer. "She can work anyway. Tell her to wear a mask."
Lin finally pauses in his incessant keyboard clatter. He turns to stare at Naru appraisingly. "Matsuzaki-san is with Mai. I highly doubt she will allow Taniyama-san to come in."
Naru frowns. "It is not just a cold," he states flatly.
Lin shrugs and turns back to his computer, never seeming to have much care for the average things in human life, like sickness.
Naru returns to his office, but ends up staring off in the distance most of the day and not getting much work done. He feeds himself the excuse that it is slow anyway.
Mai enters the office the next morning wan and cheerful. She sets a large bottle of water and a small zip-lock of crackers on her desk, then proceeds to the kitchen. Naru follows her. He leans in the doorway and watches as she puts around the counters, cleaning the dried tea spots he spilled the previous day and putting a pot on the stove.
"Contagious people shouldn't be in the kitchen," he says, surprising her enough to jump. This gives him a small seed of satisfaction. She is still oblivious.
"Naru," Mai greets, attempting a stern scowl which quickly flutters into a friendly smile. "You left a mess in here. And I'm not contagious."
He lifts an eyebrow.
"Food poisoning," she explains. "But Ayako-san took care of me. She is very generous." Mai pauses. "Though a little scary, too."
Naru huffs in amusement and Mai beams at him. The moment is broken by the explosion of noise coming from the front door. Without looking, Naru knows it's the rest of the group, a gaggle of chatter that somehow always seems to nip at Mai's heels.
The kettle screams and Mai sets about preparing the rest of his tea as Naru watches. Her hands tremble slightly and her features are really too pale, her clothes hang slightly from her already too-slender frame.
She pushes a cup of tea gently into his hands and stares up at him.
"I missed you too, Naru," she murmurs, then brushes past him to greet the rest of the SPR crew. Naru takes a sip of his tea and thinks about possibilities, plans and Mai.
O
The case is routine, at least compared to the others. Naru already has a firm idea of what is causing the strange noises and bloody messages on the walls. Everyone else is spouting ridiculous theories and Mai, which he shouldn't be surprised about, is sleeping.
It can be vexing how much of a case she figures out with just an afternoon nap. Even more vexing is how she still does the completely wrong thing despite her knowledge.
The room they are in was once a lavish spare bedroom, though now all the plush furniture is pushed against the wall to make room for their equipment. Takigawa still somehow found a way to get Mai to the bed, which is blocked by a great wall of recorders and monitors.
Naru links his fingers and stares at his computer screen, pretending to be busy so as to not enter meaningless conversation.
His eyes stray back to Mai - he doesn't pay her to sleep. He should inform her of that. She mumbles something and shifts, burrowing deeper into the small blanket-nest she created.
Naru turns his focus back to the laptop.
O
Mai asks to take a lunch break, which is a first without the insistence of the monk or any other interfering member of the SPR.
"Why?" Naru asks, eyes narrowed suspiciously. She flushes slightly, almost… nervously.
"One of my friends wants to take me out to lunch. From university."
Friends… "Which friend?" he asks, as though it's any of his business. Which, he reassures himself, as her employer, it is.
"I don't think you know him," Mai says.
Him.
"We are far too busy," Naru lies. "You will have to cancel."
"Oh, but," Mai protests, confusion apparent, "we just finished filing the last case. There's nothing…."
Which is completely true, unfortunately. "Spring cleaning," Naru says, though it's still winter. He thinks it is close enough.
Mai's eyes narrow. "Spring cleaning? You want me to… clean?"
"Yes."
"I'm pretty sure I could clean and go to lunch-"
"Lin already ordered your lunch." Another lie.
Mai's frown is now a very suspicious scowl. "But he usually says something to me or asks me what I want."
Naru has enough of excuses. "Tea, Mai," he orders.
Mai glares at him, as though aware of his petty machinations concerning her social life. She stomps away, slamming his office door behind her viciously.
O
The SPR crew are raising their voices purposefully loud and Naru is more than aware of this. His door is firmly sealed against noisy intrusion, but they somehow seem to make their presences obscenely noticeable all the same.
"So, little lady," Takigawa says loudly, "you've certainly been working long hours lately, haven't you?"
"Oh, yes," Mai replies, "Naru says he needs me here for, uh - well, I'm not exactly sure, but it's important."
At his desk, Naru puts his face in his hand. Obliviously, Mai had just indicated illogical behavior on his part.
"Oh, really," Takigawa says gleefully. "How is that working out with your university classes? You must be tired."
"Well, he asked for my class schedule so it won't get in the way. And I like working, Bou-san. I'm not tired at all."
Naru is up from his seat and reaching for the door handle, prepared to shut down the Monk's information gathering gossip session, when Ayako pipes up.
"I saw you with that boy, Mai," she trills, "on a date."
Naru freezes. There is a tense silence.
"Oh, no!" Mai finally protests. "He's just a classmate. He helps me study when Yasuhara-san is too busy."
Naru can hear the sly oiliness of the Miko's voice. "He certainly looked like he wanted to be cozy, though. Didn't he?"
"Uh," Mai stutters. "No - there's - no. I'm going to make more tea!"
Naru backs away from the door with a frown. He sits behind his desk, forming a steeple with his fingers in thought.
O
Lin and Naru are sitting at the couches in the main office, the only ones there that early in the morning. Mai has class and the others are doing whatever they do when not at SPR, which Naru does not care about. They are matching newspaper articles with textbook case hauntings.
Lin surprises him by pausing, staring at him thoughtfully.
Naru glares back, uncomfortable with Lin's perusal, though he refuses to show it.
"Taniyama-san is like water," Lin finally says. "She won't stay if you don't keep her."
Naru sniffs and looks down at the glossy book in his hand, the pages sterile white marred by black font. "I am not Mai's keeper."
"Hm," says Lin, then nothing more, turning back to the task at hand.
Naru's usually unswayable concentration is shot though, and when Mai appears at noon with a cheery greeting, he retreats to his office, not even requesting tea.
O
Naru silently approaches her desk, file in hand.
"Lunch," he says, startling her from her snooze.
"Oh!" Mai replies, blinking blearily. "Who should I call-"
"We're going out."
Mai stands, confusion apparent. She grabs her coat. "I'll go grab Lin-san then-"
"He's not going," Naru interrupts.
Her brow scrunches, then her cheeks flush slightly. "Oh, um. Okay. Well, I'm ready."
She follows him out and Naru decides to surprise her once more by opening the door for her. Her cheeks flush a deeper red and she gapes at him, completely thrown off. It gives him satisfaction - making a person uncomfortable - when he feels discomfited as well.
Mai stumbles out the door and Naru takes the lead, patiently waiting when she trips or slows, though he can't resist giving her the 'you're an idiot' look. Mai scowls back at him.
When they reach the quaint café Mai glances at the file still tucked under his arm.
"Are we meeting a client?" she asks.
"No."
They are seated at an intimate table in the corner, an unlit candle in the center which smells faintly of vanilla and nutmeg. Mai orders them tea while Naru gazes self-importantly at nothing. Finished ordering, she turns to stare at him expectantly.
"Mai," he finally says, "you are keeping up with your studies."
It's not quite a question, but she answers anyway. "Yes…" she says, befuddled.
Naru sets the file on the table and opens it.
"You need to keep up with your studies," he tells her firmly. At her narrowed eyes, he elaborates, "To keep on track."
He opens the file and pushes it closer to her. Mai leans over to study the sheet, her face expressionless until her eyes widen and her cheeks flush.
"Naru," she says slowly, selecting her words with incredulous care, "is this a timeline?"
"Yes," he affirms.
"With our marriage," she states, then glances down. "Two kids?"
He nods sharply, then looks away.
"You plotted our lives out on a timeline," she says again, as though telling herself because it couldn't possibly be true. She shakes her head dazedly.
"So…" Mai trails. "That means… you want to date?"
This is much more difficult than he planned. She is supposed to just agree then go on about her business (he had, perhaps, not thought out her reaction as much as he should have), not interrogate him.
"Hm," he says in response, because this is way too close to any sort of normal social-emotional interaction he's ever had with anyone outside of Gene.
She's watching him closely. "You know," she continues, and there is a teasing lilt in her voice, "you could have just kissed me, instead of writing the timeline."
Timelines are important though - oh.
Hm.
Naru slides his gaze over to study her, where she is watching him expectantly. She huffs in exasperation, glances around to make sure no one is watching them, then leans over the table to press her lips to his. Soft and supple and warm and-
She pulls away. "You take way too long, Naru," she says as a smile flits across her lips, like a sparrow preparing to fly.
"Hm," he replies, and if his cheeks are a little warm, and if his lips twitch just the slightest…. Well, let it just be said that even rocks change too.
END