A/N: So, here's a sequel. I had a few ideas, but I wasn't sure if I'd get an opportunity to write them. Here's a few of them in this little continuation. I hope you enjoy!
To those who reviewed:
Nich31 - Thank you for reading it! I'm glad you liked it.
CaitHawke4Ever - There was room and here it is. (: As far as canon goes, I'm a Mai and Naru shipper all the way. But I like Lin and Mai when it comes to fanfiction. Thank you for your review!
SiofraPrince - I'm sorry I almost made you cry! I'm happy you enjoyed it, though. Thank you!
To the mysterious 'guest' - Here's your continuation! Thank you! (:
And to everyone else who is reading this: thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.
Stories He'd Hear
(alternatively: Uneven Odds)
Lin was never one to pry. Usually, he didn't care enough to even ask. There were times, however, where he did care. He just didn't want to be a bother.
Thankfully, he had Mai. He didn't have to ask questions with her around. She'd always have more than enough answers. With her tales of the day to day, he was kept up to date with their little circle. Perhaps a little too up to date for their comfort, if they were ever to know.
But they told Mai everything. And in turn, she told him everything. It wasn't as if she was blabbing secrets to the whole company. No, she'd only share these things with him privately - in the office or over dinner.
That was how he knew the miko was over a month late prior to announcing her pregnancy. That's how, six months before that, he knew the monk was going to propose to said miko. Thanks to Mai, he knew far more about Hara-san's dating life than he ever wanted to.
But he didn't mind. Not really. He preferred oversharing to the alternative. The alternative being her not sharing much at all.
Which is what he'd been subject to for the past couple days. He had never quite known how suffocating silence could be. As someone who always felt the world was too loud anyways, he'd always scoffed at people who needed to fill the quiet with empty words.
But Mai's words were never empty. Not to him. Her silence, however, was a deep, dark chasm in his heart.
At first, he thought it was just him. That maybe he had said - or not said - something that made her mad. Rationally, he knew Mai wasn't that petty. But a more insecure part of him knew he was on borrowed time with her as it was.
He wasn't chatty. He'd thought he'd made some progress, though. He'd even shared a few stories of his own without her having to pry it out of him.
But still, he wasn't the greatest correspondent. He had wondered how they long they'd keep up this tentative relationship. A small hopeful part of him expected it to be longer.
She'd gone on a trip with her friends. It was a simple two day, one night trip. Naru had been more than obliged to give her the days off since there hadn't been a case in months. They were all getting antsy, Mai especially.
The night before the trip, she was fine. She'd called him a couple hours after he dropped her off. She excitedly went over the girls' itinerary. Muttering about her luggage as she did so.
The next morning, she'd called to let him know they'd made it. Then, at lunch, she'd called to make sure he remembered to feed Naru and himself (he'd never admit that he hadn't). And the last normal call he'd recieved was that night. She'd recounted everything that had happened that day. She signed off happily.
The next day her calls were not as happy. They seemed forced and distracted, almost like an afterthought. She was still friendly, though. So, Lin was able to rule out her being angry with him.
No, it was more like she was keeping something from him.
She found someone else. He was younger, more lively. Undoubtedly, he'd be a better match for her than a silent, stoic creature such as himself.
This was his second concern, after ruling out the first. This was usually a concern of his. Their relationship was floating out to unchartered waters, for him anyways. He was never sure where they stood, exactly.
He knew she talked to him more than the others. He knew she enjoyed being in his close proximity. They'd eaten out together and dined in quite often.
But she never clearly stated what they were. There were no mentions of exclusivity, no rare terms of endearment Lin believed were necessary.
And to fill up that space, there were a multitude of young men lining up. It seemed like every time they had a case, there was another kid vying for her attention. None of them had ever secured it, but whose to say the next one wouldn't.
Her silence, he feared, was to spare his feelings. Perhaps, he had read too much into things on her end. And she was trying to find a polite way to let him know.
This was his initial thought, anyway. Until she came into work the next morning. Naru had her coming in three hours later than usual. He'd said it was to prevent her being late and blaming the trip for her tardiness.
She came in at her usual time.
Even without his shiki, Lin knew the second she entered the establishment. The slow, familiar drag of her feet told him something was wrong. He exited his office immediately.
It seemed he wasn't the only one who noticed. Naru had also emerged from his dwelling. He leaned against his doorframe, watching the kitchenette.
Yasuhara was at his desk, sitting on the edge of his seat. His glasses gleamed at the thought of upcoming drama. No doubt he believed Naru to be at the heart of it.
"What did you do, big boss?" the part-timer whispered.
Naru threw an icy glare at the young man, but remained silent. Lin took note of the concern in his eyes.
"Hey, Naru," Mai's voice called out, causing the trio to jump. "We're out of earl grey."
There was no malice or irritation in her voice. No trace of anything to indicate that she felt wronged by her employer. And Lin had heard that plenty enough to know the sound. No, she just sounded exhausted.
"Any tea we have will be fine," Naru decided rather quickly. There was a hint of relief in his expression.
Yasuhara slumped in defeat. Only momentarily, however, as his mischievous glint had fallen on another prey. Lin met his gaze steadily.
"Koujo," Mai's melodic voice spoke with the same emotion it had just a moment previously. Still, her use of his name sent a shiver down his spine.
"Yes, Mai?" Lin couldn't help the smirk directed at a thoroughly defeated Yasuhara.
"Where did you put the extra bag of sugar?"
Lin froze for a moment. He had put the bag up somewhere too high for her to reach. But he knew from experience that it wouldn't stop her. "I'll be right there."
As he was making his way, he heard Naru ask, "What did you do, Yasuhara?"
Lin glanced back to see Naru returning to his cave. And all color was drained from the face of the part-timer.
He doubted the poor guy had anything to with Mai's current ailment. But he wasn't feeling too sorry for him either. He'd let him suffer a little bit longer.
The air was almost tangible once he entered the kitchenette. And it wasn't due to the tea kettle's steady steam, either. In the middle of thick air, stood Mai.
Her back was to him. Her eyes bore into the tea bag sitting in the empty cup. Her hands were fists on top of the counter.
Silently, Lin crept in and set about his task. She jumped back in surprise when he opened the cabinet above her head. Her eyes lazily followed his every move.
He pulled the bag out. He sat it down on the counter. And she still stared. Her mind was a million miles away.
Which was okay for the moment. Lin could take the opportunity to observe her. Before she had the hindsight to conceal herself.
Her coloring was off. Her eyes were red and irritated. She had dark circles under them. Almost as if she'd been sick or spent the night crying.
Lin had never been one to pry. He rarely voiced personal questions. He was afraid it wasn't his place. But how he wished it could be.
He wanted to open his mouth and let the flood of questions flow. But instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a simple, silent gesture. It was all he knew to do.
Miraculously, it worked. Her eyes focused on the sugar and her smile fell on him. It was broken, forced, and didn't manage to reach her eyes. "Thanks, Koujo!"
Lin nodded in return. He watched as she fretted about the kitchenette, rushing through the tasks she was supposed to have already done. If she found his presence unwelcome, she didn't show it.
He could've left. He could've went into his hole and waited for her to drop in. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to leave her.
Whatever was wrong was weighing heavy on her heart. As someone who'd been alone for most of her life, she didn't share her burdens easily. But she needed to.
He wasn't sure if he was the right one for the job. He didn't know if she even wanted him to be. But no one else had taken it on. He wasn't going to make her go through it alone.
"Mai," her name escaped his lips far more confidently than he felt.
Her hands hovered over the steaming cups. Her eyes met his. A spark of curiosity lit up amidst the darkness gnawing at her. "Yes?"
He needed to ask her about her trip. He needed to ask if anything interesting happened. He needed to know what made her cry. But the questions died on his tongue.
"I missed you," slipped out in their stead.
All the answers he needed were thrown away just so he could state the obvious. It was obvious, in his mind anyway. But the tears welling up in Mai's eyes said differently.
"Really?" there was an edge to her voice, a burning need.
"Of course. It's not the same without you,"
He stumbled backwards as the weight of her body crashed into his. Her thin arms wrapped around his waist. Her hands gripped at his shirt with every ounce of strength.
It was then that it clicked. He didn't know why, as there was nothing that alluded to it. But, just as Mai always had answers to his unasked questions, he knew what she needed him to say.
"The others missed you, too. The Takigawas stopped by and were disappointed to find you gone. I think Naru even mentioned that the place was too quiet on one occasion," He tried to keep his tone light. His hand that wasn't wrapped around her shoulder played with her hair.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she let out a shakey laugh. She looked up at him through wet lashes.
"Yes, and because it's true," Lin smiled. "Things just aren't right when you're gone."
"Thank you," she smiled. A real smile that even reached her eyes. The first one he'd seen in what felt like ages.
"I don't know what you're thanking me for. I merely stated the obvious,"
She giggled. The sound was like music. Then, her smile dropped. The darkness ebbed it's way back in. Her grip on him tightened. "I missed you, too."
He'd managed to lighten her load, at least. But he was still dissatisfied.
"You'll always have me," he reminded her.
Mai smiled again. But the darkness remained. "Something happened. Something that I can't make any sense of. And I don't want to dump it all on you, but I don't think I can wrap my brain around it on my own."
Lin wrapped both his arms around her. He pulled her closer. "I'm right here."
"Thank you," she breathed. Several moments passed in that position. The only sound was their heartbeats mixing with their breathing. "Um, but first, I have to get Naru his tea."
Reluctantly, Lin released her. She busied herself with finishing the tea. She handed him his cup of coffee and shooed him out. Lin returned to his office. And he waited.
Through his open door, he could hear Mai's knock. He could hear the resigned sigh as she started to leave. He nearly missed the faint, "Thank you, Mai."
From his seat, he could see Yasuhara freeze up. He had quite forgotten about him, in all honesty. But it was fun watching him butter up to Mai.
"Hello, Mai. Might I say, you are looking cuter than ever,"
"Morning, Yasu," Mai laughed, patting his head as she passed.
Immediately, the part-timer relaxed. He was comfortable enough to wiggle his eyebrows at Lin as Mai was closing the door. Lin just rolled his eyes.
And then his attention was all hers. Her slender fingers twisted in her hair. Her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip. Her mind was back to her problem.
Lin watched her silently. He waited as she pieced together the best way to explain the chaos in her brain. He held out his hand. Just as silently, she took it and let him lead her.
He had a couch in his office. He used it to crash every now and then when the nights got too late. That's where he sat. He pulled her up on his knee and dropped his arm into her lap. His other hand combed through her hair.
"Have I told you the story of how my dad disappeared?"
Lin murmured an affirmation. She told him before that her dad was a musician. He was the bassist of a pretty popular band that toured around the world.
She never told him what band. Just that he traveled a lot. That was how he wound up in China. That's how he met her mom.
He met his unfortunate demise after a performance on a cruise ship. His body never resurfaced. A family friend gave them the news a month later.
"It's been 15 years,"
15 years was half his lifetime. And three quarters of hers. It was odd to bring it up now.
Perhaps, they finally found his remains. Or at least what they thought to be. Or maybe there was evidence of a different fate altogether.
"You know, the world never knew we existed. We didn't mind, though. Dad would go live his rockstar life for awhile and then he'd return to us.
Our life was peaceful that way. I don't remember much from that time, but I remember we were happy. The days when dad came home were the best days.
Mom would spend the day before preparing and making his favourite meal. I remember sitting at the table, helping her with some small task. I was always very proud of this task.
Then, he'd come home. And I'd rush out of the house to greet him. He'd pick me up. We'd both be laughing and screaming. And he'd tell me how much he missed me. That he never wanted to leave again."
She sniffled. Her bottom lip was again under the torture of her teeth. Lin offered her a tissue.
"We were happy. Why-?" She scoffed as new tears threatened to fall. "At least, I thought we were all happy.
Like I said before, the world had no idea who we were. IKUTO's name was everywhere, but the Taniyamas were nobodys.
Well, to everyone except the village we lived in. There it was quite the reverse. Mom was well respected in the area. And to them, dad was a hardworking man whose job took him away far too often.
While most of the world mourned a legend, they mourned a man. We mourned a husband, a father, a life. For fifteen years.
The other night, after our phone call. I turned on the TV. The girls had went out for a late night swim. And I was bored.
I was flipping through the channels when I saw them. Guddorakkusanshain. On a stage stood every single member. Every single last one.
They were older. Some were greying; some had let themselves go a bit. They talked of their reunion tour, of their families, of their kids.
Then, he came on screen.
He looked the same to me. You'd think time would've altered him into something different, something unrecognizable. But no.
His eyes still shone the same. His mouth still turned up in that crooked smile. His laugh was still the same.
When he came on, they talked about his miraculous save. How his current wife found him on the shores of some beach in South Korea. How she saved him from himself. How she blessed him.
Blessed them with a beautiful daughter. She's already following in his footsteps, they said. They showed videos of her own concert with her girl group. And he was so proud.
I looked her up. It was curiosity mostly. I found she was as sweet as she looked. A cute, little fairy with her father's doe eyes.
And their story was so sugary sweet. They met and instantly fell in love. But of course, 'touring' kept them apart. They didn't let that stop them, though. They did their best to work around it, to raise their daughter around it.
Then, the 'accident' came. They were lucky, they said. He fell off the boat so close to the shore. He made it safely. And she made him swear off touring. At least until their daughter was older.
He changed his name, changed his pace. And as the world mourned IKUTO, he got comfortable in his new position of family man."
Mai took a breath as fresh, hot tears spilled. These tears were the result of her anger. Her hands were balled into fists where they rested on his chest.
"She's seventeen. My little sister is seventeen years old. My dad - the same dad I thought died fifteen years ago - is still living and breathing. And I don't know either of them.
And all of a sudden, I'm that seven year old standing in front of my grandmother. I'm wondering what I did that was so wrong. I want to know what I did to deserve this.
Why did he leave us? Why did he stay with them? With her? What did she have that I don't?
And I hate it. Because it's not her fault. She probably doesn't even know.
But my whole life has been one big lie. And I'm so angry. And, and," she choked back a sob.
Lin pulled her her closer. His arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders. Her tears fell on his neck.
"It hurts, Koujo. It hurts so much,"
Lin remained silent. His hand rubbed circles up and down her back. Admittedly, a few tears of his own escaped.
She had done nothing to deserve this. The woman in his arms had been through hell and back. She'd faced her demons time and time again. And still she came out smiling.
If anything, she deserved the world.
"He's an idiot," Lin finally spoke. His lips grazing the top of her head. "He'll never get to see the amazing person you've become. I almost feel bad for him. I can't imagine a life without you."
Mai snorted. "You're only saying that to make me feel better."
"No," Lin swallowed. "I'm saying it because it's the truth. The thought of losing you is terrifying. I don't understand why anyone would willingly put themselves through that."
She pulled back. Her eyes searched his face. She was looking for the slightest hint of dishonesty.
Normally, this would bother him. He would've thought she knew him better than that. Lin wasn't one to lie. And he knew she knew that.
But that was before she'd gotten the shock of her life. That was before her self esteem was sent spiraling. And it took her sense of trust with it.
He knew she'd recover. She'd stop second guessing every word, every thought. And he could be patient until then.
"You really mean it," It wasn't a question. But an incredulous statement.
Lin couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "I just spent two days without you. Those were the longest two days I've had in awhile."
Mai giggled in spite of herself. Her tears started to dry up. "I'm terribly sorry. I won't leave again."
"You can go wherever you want, " Lin argued, "just so long as you take me with you."
"That's a deal," Mai held out her pinky. With another chuckle, Lin wrapped his pinky around it. She beemed. "Thank you."
"Always," Lin assured her. He dropped her pinky, but grabbed her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers.
She smiled at their hands. A relief, a hope burning in her eyes. Acting as a light, chasing away the darkness. "Always."