Flash, boom, crack.

Naru glanced up from his book and looked out the window. It was raining, hard. He hadn't noticed. It felt like he was torn between two worlds. Two versions of himself. Naru and Noll. His mind kept going back to his childhood, something that only happened around this time of year.

The anniversary of Genes death.

He shook himself and tried to get a grip. No time for reminiscing, nostalgia, or sadness. Especially sadness. Naru glanced at his tea cup, it was almost empty and cold. Seems like he got lost in his book.

Flash, boom, crack.

Another bout of thunder shook the office. Naru stood. The office was quiet. Usually he could hear Mai's humming, or cheerful chatter. But today there was nothing. Did she leave early? No, she would have told him.

He already knew Lin was out. The Chinese man had taken a visiting Madoka out to dinner. Distracting her from seeing a certain narcissist. Naru stood and walked slowly to his door, as he hand touched the handle a memory overtook him.

Oliver "Noll" Davis turned the knob to his twins room.

"The power is out. But mother says that dinner is ready." No reply. "Gene?"

Naru returned to the present and opened the door to his office. Annoying memories, a nuisance really. He stepped out, noting the lights were off. Why hasn't Mai turned them on yet? The narcissist sighed and walked towards the brunettes desk. She wasn't there. He cocked his head to one side, she wasn't in the kitchenette either.

Flash, boom, clap.

There was a whimper at his feet.

Noll glanced around at the sound. "Gene? Where are you?"

"Over here." A small, teary voice replied. Noll followed the voice to his brothers desk. He knelt down.

"Mai? What are you doing under your desk?" Mai looked up at her boss. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"I'm afraid of storms."

"I'm afraid of storms." Noll tilted his head.

"Since when?" Gene shrugged and wiped his snotty nose. Another deafening boom pierced the room. Gene yelped and covered his ears. Noll stood motionless, not knowing how to comfort his brother.

"I'll be right back." Noll scrambled to his brothers bed. He grabbed some of the blankets off the bed and scrambled back.

In the present Naru stares at his assistant, completely dumbfounded. He had never seen her cry so heavily this before. His hands clenched at his sides, completely unsure what to do. He slowly walked away from her and to the emergency supplies closet. He grabbed as many blankets he could hold and returned.

Noll threw a blanket over his brothers desk and climbed into the makeshift fort. He shoved several blankets at a confused Gene. Noll opened his mouth to explain but found he couldn't. He simply found himself making a nest of blankets around him and his brother.

Naru placed a blanket over the desk and wordlessly crawled under the cramped desk with his assistant.

"Naru what are you-" her inquiry was cut off by a clap of thunder. She dove for the pile of blankets and covered her face in them. Naru sat beside her shaking form, his hands in his lap. Unable to comfort her.

He wasn't able to comfort his brother either. He could only sit there. Sit in silent companionship..

Mai huddled against Naru and soon fell asleep. He looked down at her, his lips twitching the slightest bit. He recalled the words of his brothers, all those years ago.

"Noll... I-I think I've figured something out. The girl I'm going to marry is going to be fearless, completely fearless. Storms won't bother her. Because... I want someone to protect me during times like this." After uttering those words Gene fell asleep against his brothers shoulder.

Naru glanced at the girl who reminded him so much of his brother.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me."

When Lin entered the office, his boss was no where to be found. He walked quietly through the office, searching for a narcissist and his tea maker. The Chinese man found them, fast asleep under Mai's desk. He chuckled lightly.

'You haven't changed at all Noll.' Lin let them be, and headed to his office. Planning on calling Madoka and telling her about the scene he had just witnessed. The same scene he had stumbled across all those years ago.

A/N hi guys! So instead of posting in my other ghost hunt story I decided to post this which I wrote a couplodor weeks ago when I was stuck on the side of the road. I'm sorry if any (*cough* Naru *cough*) is OOC. It's been a while since I've read the manga... I'll hopefully post a chapter in my other ghost hunt story (which you should check out...) soon!

MagpieFeather