'So When It Rained...'
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt nor do I own the song by Coldplay which sort of made me write this...
A/N: May I present to you, dear audience, the comical ramblings of the protagonists from GH. A tribute to the cold weather and chilling rain that has disturbed the mental balance of Author-san. Proceed with caution.
Review and comment if you are not drowned in depression or boredom by the end of this shot.
I think of you
I haven't slept
I think I do
But I don't forget
...And you're always in my head'
- Always In My Head/Coldplay
He felt something dislodge in his chest as he gazed at them from the glass door…
The particular feeling could have taken place for a number of reasons – his mind reasoned – perhaps the blame was to be put on the cold he had which made him cough until his whole body was wracked with pain or maybe it was the bruise on his ribs that he'd gotten on their last case trying to save Mai or maybe the sensation could have been caused by the stomach churning weather.
You see, things such as pains in the chest happened for a number of reasons –
So he definitely couldn't say that it had occurred when he saw Mai dancing a waltz with Yasuhara in the office balcony while it rained.
Sometimes he wondered if it was possible for him to murder a person (who – you might have guessed) and get away with it, he was, the famous Oliver Davis after all. Although if Yasuhara did not remove his hands from Mai's waist, he was sure that he'd do it; murder the collegiate and get away with it.
Oliver Davis sighed internally, tearing his eyes away from the cozy scene taking place in the veranda, only to look over at the condition of his office.
His office was a mess; files on his desk were either half opened or half complete, the tea cup in the centre of the clutter was untouched and would have probably frozen in this stupid weather. His pens were spread all over the files, blotting the white pages while the photographs for their upcoming case were scattered, unsorted in the manila folder.
Oh he wasn't so unorganized usually but the weather distracted him from his martinet routine and he was disconcerted when something broke his routine, he became restless and impatient, snapping at everything that came within his sight.
Just like the scene that unravelled in front of his vision.
His eyes went back to looking at both of his employees as they laughed at something or the other, dancing as if they were wrapped in their own worlds, completely oblivious to his presence.
Bloody hell.
It was maddening, this urge to decapitate the bespectacled collegiate when he snaked his arm around Mai's waist, laughing all the while – maybe so she wouldn't notice his move. Naru's eyes narrowed visibly when Yasu said something in Mai's ears and she coloured, her eyes averting from Yasuhara's form, stammering incoherently in response.
What was he saying?
Again, Yasu leaned forward, murmuring something to her and Naru came to be familiar with the feeling of blood boiling in his veins, droning out every other noise as it pounded in his ears. Four years, he speculated grimly, one palm poised against the glass door, one hand fisted but safely hidden in the pocket of his coat. Four damned years that he'd learnt not to blame any sensations in his gut or chest on anythint to do with Mai, four years since he had left for England and returned in record time; and he'd still been unable to say aloud what bought him back in the first place.
It was satirical – the whole situation almost seemed like a stupid joke and everybody knew that if it was one thing that Naru had absolutely no patience for were out of line jokes.
When Yasuhara crossed all boundaries and dared to actually lean closer to her was when Naru decided that it was high-time he intervened, he did not appreciate it when his employees missed work for nothing at all.
This had to stop - right now. Like hell he'd let Yasu cross any limits.
"Yasuhara." He called out, leaning against the glass door, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. "What do you think you're doing?"
And Mai looked up at him…her eyes wide, her lips parted as if beholding some wonder.
"Just enjoying the weather Boss man." The collegiate smiled smugly as if Naru had admitted defeat of some sort. "But we all know that this weather makes you grumpy –" Before he could retort, Yasu held up a hand, still smiling as his spectacles glinted. "Scratch that – everything that doesn't include 'work' makes you grumpy."
He wanted to wrangle Yasuhara… he would have, if Mai would not have been there.
"Yasu –" He glared icily. "If you appreciate your job, stop harassing my assistant, go to your desk and send me the translated file of our last case." Then he turned his hard look on Mai. "Mai, tea."
That was when Mai snapped back to herself, fuming, hands fisted, stalking away towards the exiting door. She mumbled something he couldn't quite catch but he was sure it was nothing complimentary and watched, like a hawk, as both of them departed for the jobs he'd given them.
And then he steepled his fingers in silent triumph.
Well – he should have used this technique earlier, instead of troubling himself over this unnecessarily.
With a last glance to the rain falling outside, he let his knuckles relax and released a sigh.
He hated when it rained – just like Gene did – and shaking his head, Naru mused on how a simple weather change could drastically worsen his mood and weaken his hold on his temper.
It was all because of the rain, anger to his employee's tardiness was a natural reaction. He told himself, sorting out the items on his desk, satisfied somehow. It was all because of the rain.
"He was jealous." Yasu stirred his tea and gave her a smug glance. "He'd been there the entire time we were in the balcony and he looked as if he wanted to maimme."
They were in the kitchenette, Yasu was leaning against the shelf and his scheming disposition strengthening with the weather – the whole 'let's-dance-in-the-rain' idea was his idea of luring Naru out of his lair. Unfortunately, Mai had not noticed before that the balcony had another leading door, which was the glass one in Naru's office - and had just gone out to enjoy the weather, not lure Naru out because, geez, she knew how he hated the rain.
Mai was surprised with the results; Naru had not only come out of his office to glare them both down, an aura of wrath surrounding him but had also snapped at Yasu.
"He wasn't jealous." Mai said as a matter-of-factly, turning away to make Naru's tea and trying to hide the blush that was all over her cheeks. "He was just angry that we were goofing around."
Yasu grinned wolfishly and continued in an annoyingly know-it-all voice. "Aww Mai-chan, think whatever you want – he doesn't know I'm engaged elsewhere hence his emerging envy. Big Boss thought I was trying to make a pass at you, poor man."
"What?!" Mai screeched, just to show Yasu that she was scandalized, swinging around violently. "No he did not! He was just -!"
Yasu held up his palms in a gesture of mock surrender.
"Whatever little sis, whatever..." He sauntered out of the kitchen, spectacles gleaming fiendishly and left her behind to contemplate on the words he had murmured in her ear out in the balcony.
"He loves you Mai. He just doesn't know how to show it - but he chose you."
Mai closed her eyes, trying to drone it out, trying to tune out what Yasu had said to her, trying to ignore when her throat clogged up. She was so foolish, so foolish even after knowing – she had wished for so long… five years and now she was afraid of attaching any more hopes, afraid that –
Afraid of getting hurt in the process – the first time she'd allowed it to happen, watched as he unconsciously stole into whatever weak defences she had while she couldn't even find the chinks in the walls he'd built. The first time she'd made the mistake, she'd made things awkward.
The second time, she couldn't figure out what was worse; the agony of not taking the risk or the agony of taking it.
The truth burned. Both of them. But saying it would be difficult, almost impossible – accepting it would be like yelling that you were resilient.
So Mai just held in a breath, releasing it when she entered Naru's office, covertly glancing at the glass door as she handed him his hourly dose of tea.
Had he really watched her and Yasu all that time?
And despite all her protests to any fanciful expectations from the twenty-two year old scientist/her boss, she couldn't help but notice that he'd started glancing up at her whenever she handed him the tea-cup these days; as if he wanted to say something or at least, expected her to say something. This was a change for someone who never acknowledged her presence before and Mai had tried hard not to betray too much of herself.
Too much was dangerous.
Though she couldn't help but ponder over Yasu's last statement as she exited the office, dazed by her own thoughts.
"And I think it's the wisest decision he's ever made."
A/N: Hmm...see the useless products of boredom and depression, but anyways - I'd always thought of Naru as a person who hated rain. Not sure why...I know this 'fic is crack but then again - 'tis the weather's doing *sigh*
Review if you have anything to say!
-borntoflyhigh-
