Reunion with the Past
Chapter 2: You can Trust Me.
Around eight Mai walked through her door into her cozy apartment. It was simple but it still emanated a certain warmth. Maybe it was because of the earth toned paint that coated her walls or maybe it had to do with her comfy over stuffed couches that a person could sink into after a long day.
But whatever the reason Mai immediately relaxed after entering her apartment. She had been thinking about the case all the way home but now she decided she just wanted to go to sleep.
She would have her answers tomorrow. So she slipped out of her clothes and into her pajamas. She quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.
Around four in the morning Mai's slumber was no longer peaceful. She woke up crying and sweaty from the nightmare.
It seems that yesterday's recent events had made the memories that she had suppressed resurface. Of course it is not like she had not had nightmares before but this one was different and she knew that it was sign that things were going to change.
She sighed giving up quickly on the idea of more sleep. There was no way she was going to close her eyes after that. With that she climbed out of bed and headed to her bathroom.
She let the hot water clam and sooth her. She spent a good half hour in the shower. She wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel and walked back to her room.
She never really thought twice about what to wear but well they were going to a forest today so she had to dress accordingly. She decided on a pair of dark blue jeans, and white long sleeved shirt.
She then rummaged through her closet until she found her hiking boots. She knew that Naru would make some smart remark if she wore her traditional flats or sandals.
It took her a while to pack since she had forgotten to do so last night. She already had her most important item with her, her source of protection that, even though she had no real use for it at the moment, she felt the need to always care it.
She tied her short brown hair into a high ponytail and with that walked out of her apartment locking the door behind her.
She was swamped with memories as she walked the streets in the early hours of the morning. Everything she had ignored last night caught up with her.
She missed her parents more than ever. She wanted her friends to be with her. She loved her SPR family but there were some things that they did not know and they wouldn't be able to understand.
Naru was sitting on one of the couches in the SPR office looking over the details of the case. He wasn't really looking forward to spending time in the great outdoors.
The only differences in his usual black attire were the black hiking boots that he had donned for the case. As he read he was disrupted with the opening of the SPR office door.
To his surprise it was his bubbly assistant, though she had been anything but bubbly since yesterday. She was usually the last one to show up, always running late.
He saw that look on her face again as she removed her coat and hung it on the coat rack. She hadn't even noticed Naru staring at her.
"Mai though I'm glad that you are here on time I didn't think you could." Mai jumped, she had not seen Naru sitting there. She quickly placed a smile on her face and turned to face him properly.
"Oh. Good morning Naru. You scared me I didn't see you sitting there." He looked at her steadily then answered.
"It is not my fault that you are so unobservant." Mai sent a glare towards him in the process forgetting her problems.
"Why are you here so early?" Everything came rushing back to her and she decided to take evasive action.
"Do you want tea? I'll go make tea. I wonder if Lin is here. Well duh if you're here then he must be here. Hmmm would he want tea, I should just go make tea for all of us. Yeah I'll go do that." She kept on muttering as she walked towards the kitchen.
Naru arched one of his eyebrows and watched Mai. She was not paying attention so she did what a normal clumsy girl would do, she tripped over thin air.
She stuck out her arms to brace herself for the impact. But the impact with the floor never came instead she felt two strong arms encircle her waist.
Naru had left his seat to follow and he had caught her when she tripped. Mai's face turned bright red from embarrassment as she realized that Naru was the one that had kept her from falling and that he was still holding her.
"Mai, I thought that it would be impossible for someone even as dumb as you to trip over thin air but you proved me wrong."
Mai's face turned a darker shade of red but this time out of anger.
"Well seeing as I am no longer in danger of falling you can let me go." She huffed angrily.
He ignored her "Mai what's going on with you? You seem distracted."
She was shocked his voice wasn't cold it was softer and kinder a tone that she had never heard from him. Heck she didn't even think he was capable.
"N-n-nothing," she stuttered, "It's just your imagination Naru. I'm perfectly alright."
He still didn't release her. She sighed "Naru, things are complicated and I need to think before I say anything please drop it for a while. When I am ready I'll come to you"
She felt his arms leave her waist and she missed the comfort and warmth immediately. She was sorry that he has listened to her.
Naru turned her so that she was facing him. He searched her brown eyes and he could tell that she had told him the truth. He decided he would wait for her to tell him willingly. He placed his hands on either side of her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
He rested his forehead against hers. "Mai know that you can trust me no matter what it is. I will not push you to tell me."
Mai looked into his blue eyes and for the first time saw a softness in them and just like that it was gone and he left her standing there between the seating area and the kitchen.
She was stunned to say the least. She really had worried Naru for him to act like that. She had tried so hard to keep it from everyone but there was only so much one person could hide.
She knew she could trust Naru after all he had trusted her. But how would he take it if he knew. He would probably think her mad.
Tired of thinking she retreated to the kitchen to make tea for herself. No matter that she had other things on her mind she was still red from her encounter with Naru. No way was she going to take him tea without him asking for it first.
After making herself tea she walked back over to the reception area and sat down. It was almost seven so she would have company soon.
A bit later two strong arms pulled her up onto her feet and into a bone crushing hug. "Monk! Can't. Breathe."
The only response she got was a chuckle. She heard a swish and then she was released. "Ow! Ayako what did you do that for!"
"Stupid Monk she couldn't breathe!" retorted the miko haughtily.
"Thank you Ayako!" Mai went over and embraced the miko.
Lin chose that second to leave his office he had seen everything take place and if Lin had not been Lin he would have rolled his eyes at the antics of the monk and miko. But of course he had too much self control. He just continued to Naru's office.
"Mai's out there did you know?" he was referring to the fact that she was on time for once.
"Yes I do know. What did you find?"
Lin glanced at him for a second and then reported. "I have a background check on the area and nothing has happened to suggest a haunting. Unless we go further back in history but nothing that would explain the wild life avoiding that specific area."
Naru just nodded his head and went over the papers that Lin had handed to him. They heard the front door open a few minutes later.
"Hi John, Masako!" Mai ran over to them and gave them each a hug. Naru and Lin came out into the reception area to join everyone else that would be going on the case.
"Since everyone is here, let's get going." Naru said in his usual cold tone. Mai sighed and then blushed because she remembered that she would be riding between Lin and Naru for three whole hours.
Now this would not be something to panic had Naru not kissed Mai but well you can guess in what state Mai was in as she climbed into the van beside Lin.
Naru slid in next to her shortly after and looked down at her blushing face and arched one perfect eyebrow. Mai quickly found her lap to be the most interesting thing ever.
Leave it to the narcissist to act like nothing had ever happened and make her feel dumb about it too. Mai sighed this was going to be a long ride and after about ten minutes on the road she felt sleep over take her.