Well alrighty then. Sorry for the long lack of updates. Life's been a bit mental what with graduating high school, then exams, then Christmas and all that jazz. I'm also moving country in the next two weeks so another update might not be up for a while, but I shall try.
Anyway, my muse made a flash appearance last night resulting in this chapter being written.
Again, the only thing I own is the plot and any OOC characters. Also, did you guys know there is a second Ghost Hunt manga? It's pretty cool so far.
Well on with the story!
Since moving in, Mai and Naru had spent all of their free time making their new home feel just that, a home. However, an unfortunate side effect of this was, they hardly ever left their home. Naru even stopped spending all hours at the office, instead taking on a nine to five day work ethic. While Lin was pleased his charge had loosened up more, and might he add, was relieved the two younger teens had stopped locking themselves in Naru's office. The other members of Spr were not pleased with the current lack of time Mai had for them. Feeling put out, they rallied themselves together and stormed on the teen's apartment, banging on the door loud enough to wake the neighbours, which incidentally, they did.
After calming the two woman living across from them, and assuring them it would not happen again, Mai returned to her apartment, already feeling the anxiety coming off of her co-workers as watched her boyfriend stare them all down with the best glare he'd ever accomplished.
"Okay sheesh we're sorry!" Yasuhara wailed, falling to the ground and mock worshipping Naru.
"Yasu get up." Mai said, rolling her eyes.
While Mai went to the kitchen to make tea, and hide some less than appropriate items from view, Naru watched each person in the room carefully, deciding how to handle these people after they barged into his home, effectively ruin the plans he had for Mai tonight. Takigawa hid behind Ayako, praying the boss wouldn't find out this was all his idea.
"It was all his idea!" Yasuhara added when he was once again on his feet, pointing at Takigawa.
"Hey!" Takigawa yelped, watching Naru cautiously as he moved further away. "It was Ayako who was complaining so much about not being able to see Mai!"
The woman in question turned on him, preparing to hit him with her purse. Takigawa fled before he could be hit, running in the opposite direction, to cower behind the nearest person there. Unfortunately for him, that person happened to be Naru, who was now turning his full glare onto him. Making the most womanly squeak, he sprinted out of the room, almost bowling over a tea laden Mai in his attempt to escape the woman following him.
Managing to not drop the tea, she served the remaining people in the room. Mainly Naru, Yasuhara and Masako.
"Not that it isn't great to see you all." Mai started, sitting next to Naru, who had taken a seat on the smaller couch. "But why is everyone here?"
"Well, we haven't seen you in ages Mai-chan" Yasuhara whined.
"You saw her yesterday." Naru pointed out, as all members of Spr had been at the office for most of the day.
"For two seconds!" Yasuhara argued. "Then you whisked her into your office and we didn't see her again!"
"Though you still technically saw her." Naru pointed out, sipping his tea.
"He means to say that everyone is feeling neglected by Mai's due to her spending all her time either with you in your office or here." Masako explained. "Which, when you consider how much everyone used to see Mai on a daily basis, it's as if she has fallen off the world."
Mai considered this, feeling guilty as she realised it was true. She had been spending so much time with Naru, and knowing the others, they didn't want to interrupt. She HAD been neglecting her friends. She was just enjoying the alone time she had with her boyfriend too much to notice.
They had been together for nearly eight months now, but it still felt shiny new.
"I am so sorry." She apologised getting up to bow politely at her friends in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to, I've just been so busy and... And..." Mai petered off; remembering what exactly had kept her so busy. Blushing, she sat back down, staring at her tea.
CRASH!
All heads immediately went to the hallway, where the sound had come from. Muttering under his breath Naru went to investigate, leaving Mai with the others.
"So, how about we all go have coffee together or something?" Mai suggested. Yasuhara brightened.
"I know exactly the place!" he jumped up excitedly, grabbing Mai by the hand and dragging her from the flat, giving her barely any time to put on shoes and a coat. After sorting out the disaster now created in his bathroom, Naru, Ayako, Takigawa and Masako followed the two out the door, using instructions sent by text to get to where they were.
The coffee shop Yasuhara had dragged Mai and subsequently, the others, to was a small out of the way building a few blocks away from the office. It hadn't taken too long to walk to, and during the walk Mai had caught up on everything she'd missed during her period of constant, distraction. Once everyone arrived, Mai said she'd go get everyone's orders, as an apology for not making time for them.
"Two hot chocolates, one chai latte, one earl grey tea and a-"
"Mai?" Mai up from counting the orders on her hand to see someone she knew behind the counter.
"Eh? Hayato?" One of her classmates from high school was dressed in uniform behind the counter. "You work here?" the boy smiled, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah, I needed a job for the summer, so I applied here and got it."
"That's great!" Mai beamed, moving forward to place her order.
"So, what would you like? I'm a fully trained coffee slave now." he joked, pulling out a small notepad used to write down orders. "You're a tea slave right?" Mai laughed.
"Yup, every hour on the hour."
"So what can I make you?"
"Uh...oh right, two hot chocolates, one chai latte, an earl grey tea, black coffee and mocha chino please." Hayato wrote down the orders as she listed them off, moving to create them as she waited.
"Hey Mai."
"Hm?" she had been watching Hayato make her orders, he seemed to be very good at working all the machinery and everything used to make them. "You still work at that office right? The one a few blocks from here?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm here with the gang now actually." she answered. Hayato looked up with a cheeky grin.
"And here I was thinking you were buying all this for yourself." he joked.
"Hey!" Mai puffed. "This much caffeine would keep me awake for a month." He laughed, placing four of the finished orders onto a tray.
"See, I was wondering." he started, wiping excess foam off of a cup. He placed the last two orders on the tray, holding it so that when Mai went to grab it she couldn't.
"Wondering what?" she asked, confused.
"See, I've liked you for a while now, and I know you don't really seem all that interested in me, but I just had to ask. Do you want to go see a movie together or something." the words kind of tumbled out of his mouth too fast for Mai to fully catch. She stared blankly at him as the words registered in her brain. "Uh, though if you want to do something else, that's alright too, you can pick what we do of course. He waited nervously, watching her face for any sign of how she was taking his proposal. Taking a deep breath, Mai readied herself to let him down.
"Hayato I-"
"Are our orders done?" a voice behind her interrupted, making her nearly rip the tray from Hayato and send it crashing to the floor as she spun around. Naru stood behind her, hands crossed and glaring at Hayato.
"Uh yes, I was just talking to Mai." he said, unsure of who this man was.
"I believe you asked her out on a date." Naru replied, deadpan. Mai cringed, wondering how Naru would react to that. Naru leaned against the counter, studying the boy across from him. "Please." he said. "Explain why you think you would make a good boyfriend for Mai." Mai blinked in surprise. That definitely was not what she'd expected. Confused at this stranger's behaviour, Hayato stammered a bit, trying to piece together a good argument.
"Well see, I've known Mai since middle school, and we've been friends since. And I have had this crush on her for most of this time." he managed to get out.
"And what exactly can you offer her in a relationship?" Naru pushed, leaning in slightly over the counter.
"I uh, well I um." Hayato gulped, the stranger was interrogating him.
"Naru stop being mean." Mai protested, seeing Hayato's nervous state. Naru just glanced at her.
"He thinks he is good enough to date you Mai, I just want to know why he thinks he's better than your current boyfriend."
Hayato's face crumpled, of course Mai had a boyfriend, and this stranger probably knew him too, that's why he was being so scary. Mai's boyfriend was probably a friend of his, and he was protecting his friend's girl.
"Uh I'm sorry." he apologised. "I didn't know she already had a boyfriend." he put his hands up to defuse the animosity coming from the other guy.
"Mai, take these back to the others, they're waiting." Naru ordered. Mai opened her mouth to protest again, but he turned his glare on her.
"Fine." she grabbed the tray, giving Hayato a small smile as she left.
"Man, I really am sorry." Hayato continued, hoping the guy would understand it was an honest mistake. "I seriously didn't know she was taken."
"Well she is." Naru straightened himself off of the counter and paid for the drinks.
"Whoever he is, he's a really lucky guy." Hayato added as he handed back Naru's eftpos card. Smirking at the boy Naru turned to leave, but not before he said something.
"Yes, I am."
Hayato froze.
A few hours later, Mai and Naru returned home, Mai putting their coats away. After making the necessary preparations for getting ready for bed, as it was quite late, Mai slipped into the covers next to an already asleep Naru. Leaning over, she kissed him goodnight. Strong arms grabbed her, locking her into place above Naru as his eyes flickered open. He moved his hands up and pulled her face down into a searing kiss, leaving Mai breathless and completely red.
"You are mine." he whispered, looking into her brown eyes. "Only mine."
Ta da! Hope you enjoyed it, I know it probably seems a little weird, I DID write it at one in the morning xD
Anyway, rate and review as always guys.
You're feedback always helps and seeing people actually reading and enjoying my work makes me smile like never before. (Also flail like a pterodactyl on crack in mating season)
Until next time!
