hi everybody! sorry for the wait for my readers of both this story and let the games begin, it's been kinda hectic these last few weeks. good news; my finals are over and i passed every one. bad news; i have a summer job that keeps me away from my computer until about four in the afternoon. but in other news i was happy with such positive feedback from people on this story, it made me really happy! but i have some bad news; Gene has agreed to help me write this story and therefore will not be present in it, sorry to those of you who were hoping for him to make an appearance... okay i think i've rambled enough...
disclaimer; nope i don't and most likely never will own ghost hunt
To say Mai was excited; would be an understatement. To say she was happy; might be a stretch. Clearly Naru was going to make her work in exchange for her reading lessons. All morning Mai had been opening all the curtains in both the master's bedroom and the library only to be told he didn't like so much light and she had to close them all again. When that was completed he said it was too dark in the library and he couldn't read his files; he forced Mai to open the ones in the library up until they were five inches apart. By the time that was finished Mai was just about ready to rip his head off. Naru must have sensed this because he sent her to get his lunch and afternoon tea.
"Oh, he does it on purpose I just know it!" she groaned from inside the kitchen.
"Who is he and what does he do on purpose?" a voice asked.
Mai stiffened and turned around. Standing behind her was Luella Davis; mistress of the house and Naru's mother. Mai also like to think of Luella as her surrogate mother but she couldn't ever say that aloud, society never would have accepted it.
"No one of any importance ma'am." Mai answered looking down at the silver tea tray.
"Oh come now, you can tell me anything. You know that Mai." Luella said to try and get the girl to talk.
"No ma'am, I can't." Mai replied.
"Why not?" Luella demanded.
"Society doesn't allow it." Was Mai's response.
"Society?" Luella laughed. "My dear, society doesn't allow for you to be anywhere near this mansion. Yet here you are; the personal maid to the young master of the household. Society doesn't dictate the wealthy, and it certainly doesn't dictate feelings."
"If you say so ma'am." Mai replied dubiously.
"By the way Mai, how do you like the alterations I had made?"
By this point, Naru was waiting almost impatiently for Mai to return with his tea and his lunch. He was getting so irritated he was losing his cool demeanor; not good for his reputation. When Mai came through the wide double doors he let out a small sigh of relief.
"What took you so long?" he asked. "You took less time to bring me my morning tea, and even then you were late."
"I'm sorry Naru." Mai said apologetically. "Mistress Davis held me up in the kitchen with idle chitchat. I would have been there still had Master Davis not beckoned her presence in his office."
"You were held up by my mother?" Naru asked quizzically. "I honestly can't say I'm surprised, but what was she holding you up about?"
"She was asking about the alterations that had been made." Of course Mai would only answer vaguely when she was embarrassed."
"Hmm, what alterations?" Naru was looking her over from behind the safety of his mahogany wood desk.
"Certain alterations that had been made to my uniforms." Mai was slow to reply.
"Ah. I did notice your skirts had been getting shorter lately. At first I thought it was a growth spurt but this makes much more sense.
Mai blushed and suddenly found her shoes to be more interesting than the boy before her. Naru closed his eyes and allowed a small smile to pass over his face momentarily.
"Wait a minute, what were you doing looking at my skirts?" she practically screamed.
"I'm not the only one who noticed it Mai. In fact, Lin was the one who first noticed, he informed me of it afterward. I ignored it simply because I thought you were going through growth spurts but since it was mother's doing I suppose I'll have to have new ones ordered."
"Oh no!" Mai protested. "You don't have to do that!"
"And why not?" Naru replied. "Could it be that you actually like wearing skirts of that length?"
"It's not that," Mai tried to explain. "It's just that; I already feel like I'm already in debt to you and your family for taking me in and giving me a job that pays like this one. Please don't make me feel like I need to repay you any more than I already do."
Naru sighed. "Very well. Now, let's begin your reading lesson."
Mai walked out of the library with a huge smile and the remnants of a pink blush on her face. When they'd first begun Naru had told her that learning to read would be very difficult, especially since her mind had started to harden and wasn't as absorbent as a five year old's mind was. However, Mai simply took to learning the words written on the paper. To start with, Naru had written all 26 letters on a piece of paper. It was difficult at first; but Naru had shown her a way to help learn the letters. He had taken her hand in his own, extended her index finger, and -with his own on top of hers- he used her hand to trace the letter 'a' while saying it aloud. They had done that with all the letters of the alphabet three or four times before he pulled his hand away. Mai had been able to do it on her own, she was so happy.
'Why on earth did he do that?' she wondered exiting the library. 'Ah well. Best. Day. Ever!' Mai thought happily as she went to get ready for supper.
Naru on the other hand, was still looking at the list of letters in shock. Something was definitely amiss. Mai shouldn't have been able to get the letters as quickly as she did. Only someone who knew how to read beforehand would have been able to do it like she did. That made Naru wonder, he really didn't know much about Mai; other than that day he had found her in the slums of the town. And at the time he was still young so one wouldn't blame him for not inquiring into her family and her background. Now he wondered if he should.
At the dinner table Mai stood behind Naru as he ate in silence with his parents. In fact, the only sounds coming from the massive dining hall were the sounds of eating themselves, everything else was still.
"So Noll," Luella began. "How was your day today?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary mother," Naru replied. "Though it would have been more productive if I had had more help during the hours I worked. Next time could you please refrain from detaining my maid with matters that can be dealt with on her time off?" one of the few times Naru remembered his manners was around his mother; that woman was severely strict about them and could be a scary person if she had to deal with a member of their social circle who was ignorant of when and how to use their manners.
Naru shuddered at the memory of one of the 'dates' his mother had coerced him into going on. Needless to say the woman was truly a spoiled brat, and more or less a gold digging whore. Unfortunately for her, Luella caught her ordering around one of the servants as if she owned the place; the 'disaster date' as Naru had then on dubbed it had promptly been escorted out of the house, never to return again. That was one of the kicking points of realization for Naru. He had always known he was good looking and knew that any woman who laid eyes on him wanted him for themselves almost instantly. However, though Naru was no good at showing emotions he was keenly adept at reading them, especially off of hormonal women. Lust and the need to tie him down to them by tempting him and having him father a child of theirs was instantly recognizable and always had Naru running for the hills. Hence, he preferred to stay locked away in his library; away from all the women he didn't want nor need except for his mother and Mai.
Ah Mai. She was the one exception to the rule afore mentioned. Where in most cases Naru would only have to simply look at a woman to see the lust and greed rise up within her, Mai was an entirely different story. He supposed he could chalk it up to her knowing him as he began to become more beautiful than he already was, -if that was even possible- and was therefore immune to his corporal charms after having been exposed to his rather narcissistic personality. She was a breath of fresh air, and he supposed that was what made him want her from the very beginning.
By nature, he was a dominant and possessive man. When he wanted something; he got it, and when he got it; he refused to let it go. That was what had made him chase after Mai the day they first met; he had wanted her from that very day. Mostly because she was a rare flower in his opinion. She had put him in his place and made him realize that outside the safety of his manor walls; he really was equal with everyone else regardless of his wealth. The kick in the shin only further proved the point that she was not like the people he'd surrounded yet isolated himself from his entire life; they would only praise and serve the master with no complaints to his face nor his parents while Mai never failed to reprimand him when he was not on his best behavior or when he was letting his arrogance get the best of him. Those qualities were what made him admire and eventually fall in love with Mai. And he had only realized it after the first three years of her service to him. And he still did if he were completely honest with himself. But, being the man of no emotion that he was, he could not confess. Besides that, he was worried that Mai would not feel the same way, or that she would say the same thing she always said when she was asked to do something that was not in the code of law that the servants followed; 'Society doesn't allow it.'.
The one thing he wasn't worried about from rejection was the thought she was already in love with someone else. Being in such a high position Mai was never sent out on errands for the house. If she needed something Lin often went out to get it for her when he visited his family. And when Mai had time off; she spent it helping out the members of her surrogate family with their jobs. The job she liked best was helping John in the garden, but Naru knew he was no threat since he only saw her as a baby sister. If she wasn't helping she would either lock herself in her room to relax or come and bother him anyway until he gave up trying to work and ended up telling and re-telling ghost stories he'd memorized from the thousands of books that surrounded them. He secretly reveled in the way her eyes lit up as he told the tale; whether from fear or something else, he still could not decipher.
"Noll? Noll?" his mother called breaking his gaze from the dinner he'd only taken a few tiny bites from at best. "Are you listening to me young man?" Luella asked.
"No mother." He answered honestly. "My attention was on something else at the moment."
"Really? What was it?" the older woman piqued interestedly.
"Nothing of any real importance." Naru dodged the question quickly. If his mother ever found out about his feelings for Mai before he could confess; not only would she not hear it from him directly, but he would be subjected to never-ending torment from Mai's surrogate family. That in itself was a nuisance he would always prefer to avoid.
"Well at any rate," the older woman continued. "You're coming of age now and I think it's time you started looking for a wife. One that's suited to you and your tastes."
"Excuse me?" Naru could not believe his mother was saying that. Of course he already had the perfect bride and wife picked out but according to society, they could never be together. "Mother I really don't think I can be bothered to find a wife right now."
"I think it's something to be worried about young man." His mother countered. "I want to see my grandkids before I die and your father was around your age when he found me. Of course we waited 'til I was of legal age but still. He had found me and we now live together in happiness. That's all I want for you sweetheart, please try to understand…" she trailed off wistfully.
Naru sighed; she always brought up that story when the subject of courting came up. He learned to tune it out but caught the last part in time. "I understand that mother, but there are still things I'd rather have done before I begin that tedious task."
"I really don't understand you sometimes." He heard Mai mutter. He would deal with that comment later.
"As of this moment, I want to make sure you and father are well prepared for certain changes that are bound to happen. I want to make sure you can handle the new household without me there." Naru went on to explain as he stood from his chair. "I thank plain as he stood from his chair. "I thank you for the meal. Mai let's go." And with that; the young master strode from the hall with the pretty little maid in tow.
"Impressive reasoning Naru." Mai chimed as she poured tea from the pot she had grabbed on their way back to his wing. "If I was you I don't think I would have come up with something like that to keep her at bay."
"Then I suppose it's a good thing you are not me." Naru replied downing the entire porcelain teacup full of the scalding herbal remedy in one take. "Now, go close the windows before you leave to get ready for bed."
"Yessir!" Mai replied saluting him as she went about her work.
She had managed to get all the windows done without incident so far. All except for the last. When she went to draw the curtains something 'poof'ed and then her eyes started to water. She raised her hands to cover the burning sacs of water.
"Ah!" she cried as the stinging increased. "Something's in my eye!"
Typical idiot." Naru said under his breath as he got up from behind his desk and went over to her. "Come with me." He said grabbing the girl by the arm and leading her into his bedroom where he kept a spare medical kit in case of an emergency.
Setting Mai down on the edge of the canopy Naru went to one of the drawers and pulled out the box. He pulled a white handkerchief out and some saline solution as well. Striding over quickly with the newly wetted piece of cloth he kneeled before the girl.
"Hold still." He ordered prying her hands away to see Mai's normally cheerfully beautiful face streaked with pain-induced tears. "And whatever you do. You must not rub your eyes after I'm through." He informed her as he raised the cloth to her eyes.
With them closed he dabbed ever so gently at the lids before running it under the mini hollows her skull had produced in the construction of a normal human. Once he was done he took her head in his hands and blew softly into each ailing eye. When he stopped Mai opened her eyes and blushed at the proximity of their faces.
"Well I should really get to bed. Bye Naru!" she said quickly and loudly ad she pushed him away and bounded out of the room. Caught off guard by the sudden movement Naru had landed in a sitting position more or less with the rarest sight to see on his face. Even rarer than his smile; his dumbfounded face. As he composed himself he let his thoughts wander through different things while his body went through the ritual routine of getting ready for bed. At least her reaction had given hint to the fact that she liked him, more than an employee should for that matter. The thought comforted him greatly.
Mai, on the other hand, was slumped with her back against the now closed library doors. She held her hands to her face; her cheeks flushed and her heartbeat erratic. There had to have been some misunderstanding right? Naru wouldn't just do something like that out of anything other than necessity right? So why did it feel so right when he was taking care of her? Mai was honestly reminded of the times she'd seen Lin or Monk take care of the problem when the woman they loved was hurt. They did it with such focused precision and tender care. Mai melted when she saw that sort of thing, but to think it had just happened to her of all people. And from her own master no less!
Forcing her legs to work Mai started the nightly walk to her room. Along the way she met up with Luella once again.
"ah Mai, just the girl I wanted to see. You see, I have something very important to tell you…"
Mai was honestly lost in her own world and unknowing tuned Luella out. All Mai did was nod occasionally to show understanding though she had not the faintest idea of what the woman beside her was blabbering on about. When they reached the door to Mai's room Luella bid her goodnight and was off.
Mai opened the door and let her body take over her nighttime routing just as Naru had done. The two of them were up into some hours of the night before either got any rest. They had one simultaneous and coherent thought before they at last drifted away into the land of dreams;
'What just happened back there?'
sorry for launching into a monolouge about naru's feelings this chapter but it was needed to establish the plot. i'll be focusing more on mai's feelings nex\t chapter since we'll have the introduction of a new character
as always; review!