14AmyChan, Haha. Poor Lin. DeadlyRose123, LOL yes. If it ain't Yasu, then it's gotta be Madoka. Fairy of the Friz, I know! I can't believe I gave up such a beautiful opportunity! I swear I was gonna take it but I…I couldn't function a proper, and appropriate, sentence for the occasion. Legit, I was thinking, from Naru to Mai: "'ello. It is the morning. I want me some cream puffs". But no worries! I will be creating more opportunities for better "fangirl-eliciting fluff" (I might actually have to do that in the prequel, if I do write one; I just can't take this fanfic seriously, to be honest). Scouts' honour! borntoflyhigh, Haha. I don't think they'll ever be over Pocky, to be honest. WhisperToTheWolves, LOL, even though he's a natural-born schemer, he'll always be loved. NaginiFay, Haha! Somewhere across the world, methinks. Arya Svit-Kon, He did, and it's rather deep. Naruisawesome, LOL, Naru's a pervert~ xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Yasu's a risk-taker, no doubt. ExtraCheeseCake, I'm glad you like the story. :D animefreak101, Ahahahaha! You know, I used that exact line on someone because I wanted me some jelly. I received a firm no. /sigh And I know, I'm sorry. I really should start editing instead of the finish-and-update routine I've been doing. /scratches head sheepishly


Chapter Seven

~ In Which Naru Worries Over His Weight ~

Oh, hey, she thought as she stared at the unconscious male, relishing his relaxed countenance, knowing it wouldn't last long, Naru's back again.

It was a first, but Naru had slept in, most probably unintentionally. He usually woke much earlier than her (and without the aid of an alarm clock), prompting her to conclude he was some kind of monster, but it was now ten in the morning and he still hadn't woken. She hoped he wasn't sick. Mai called out his name a good few times but all that accomplished was a grunt and a turn to his left, his back to her.

She frowned.

"Wake up, Naru!" she said, her voice rising a little as she knelt down to shake him. Next thing she knew, she was looking up at the ceiling. She glanced to her left, saw Naru real close up and personal, and the shriek died in her throat. Mai raised her hand and awkwardly patted it on the arms wrapped tightly around her. No response.

"N-Naru?"

Grunt.

"Please wake up!"

His hold only tightened.

The blush on her face seemed permanent unfortunately, and she knew how terrible it looked. She scrunched her nose when something distastefully wafted into the room. She sniffed the air and her nose was flooded with Naru's scent and something not nice.

Then the smoke alarm went off.

Good news, Naru woke up, and Mai saw first-hand as he shrunk into a four-year-old before he opened his eyes. Bad news, her ear drums were about to be shattered and she could hear her neighbours' surprised and annoyed voices. Mai grimaced. Thin walls. She leapt up from Naru's futon, stopping herself from releasing the squeal bubbling in her throat at the sight of a confused Naru rubbing his eyes. Cute, but for another time.

Her heart couldn't deal with the two events, both worthy of a heart-attack, at once. She'd deal with the cause of her anxiety first. Then she'd address her need to sweep him off his feet and hug him to death.

"My god," she whispered when she saw the smoke blowing out from her pots. Well, there went breakfast. She hurried to turn the stove off then turned to the alarm. In the minutes in which it had come to life, her own levels of annoyance had risen to a boiling point. "Enough out of you!"

She grabbed a chair, stood on it, and jabbed at the button in the middles to turn it off. It quieted instantly and she could feel her stress leave as the sound did too. She got down, put the chair back in place and went to tend to what should have been breakfast. However, the alarm had chosen that time to come back to life and she turned back to it in horror.

"What do you want from me?" she half cried, half begged. Today had already gotten off to a bad start what with a ruined breakfast, Naru making her all flustered – though one could argue that that event wasn't particularly in the 'bad start' category – and now the stupid smoke alarm. She got back up there and dismantled it, taking out the battery. She breathed a sigh of relief and hopped back down just as a sluggish Naru entered the room, taking a seat at the table.

"Sorry, Naru," she apologised, having mixed feelings as she eyed the four-year-old. On one hand she felt embarrassed upon recalling the previous memory, but on the other, she didn't feel attracted to his four-year-old self. Just an overwhelming need to snuff the life out of him via a giant hug. Good to know she wasn't a paedophile – a little disheartened, however, that even though Naru had turned tiny, she still couldn't hug him. "Breakfast died. I'm working on another batch."

He nodded wordlessly.

Alright then. Eggs.

The eggs took only a few minutes and after setting a plate of it, along with a bowl of rice and a glass of water in front of him, she went to tackle the smoke alarm again, eyeing the battery in her hand with unmasked disdain. If the blasted thing started shrieking again, she'd throw it down the trash chute.

"So what's wrong, Naru?" she asked, busying herself with reattaching the battery to the alarm. "You're usually up early."

Naru didn't bother correcting her – since he'd turned little he'd actually been waking up later than his usual 'five in the morning'. He stuffed a forkful of cooked eggs in his mouth, chewing slowly, lethargically, as he stared absently at the plate in front of him. He lacked the appetite. At least there was only a little bit left.

"Tired," he said with a shrug after finishing his mouthful. Mai stopped what she was doing, hopped off the chair, and scrutinised him with frightening concentration. Without warning, she brought her face closer to his and snaked a hand to the back of his head, pulling his face forward toward her, forehead touching. Naru blinked at her. The sudden proximity startled him.

With a frown, Mai pulled away. "You have a fever, Naru." She took him by the hand and led him back to the room. "Sleep. I'll go get some water to cool you down."

"But I'll get fat if I shleep now."

Mai gave him a look. "Bed. Now." He obeyed, though grudgingly, and Mai walked out muttering something along the lines of "unbelievable narcissist" and "sick but worries over his weight".

"She tried to attack me this morning."

Mai choked. It wasn't the kind of choke where it was small or delicate or even brief. No, it was the most ungraceful choke she'd ever done – she coughed, sputtered, and went terrifyingly red. It went on for what seemed like a millennia and all she had to gain for her troubles was embarrassment, an almost detached lung, and near asphyxiation.

"It was the other way around!"

Naru looked her in the eyes – not an easy feat for someone with the height of a four-year-old.

"The guilt on your face shays otherwishe."

"It isn't guilt!"

Yasu, looking quite ridiculous with a black eye in the midst of healing, snickered. Mai shot him a glare but he brushed it off easily with a loud snort. "Oh, Mai," he drawled. "You're embracing your perverted side." He winced a little when Mai loomed threateningly above him, reminded of a particular incident he'd rather forget quickly.

"I. Am. Not. Perverted!" she hissed angrily. "And I didn't attack him!"

"My, my," Masako said lightly, a kimono sleeve held up in front of her mouth. "How unsightly, Mai. I expected more of you. At least wait till after marriage."

Mai gaped. Yasu chortled. Naru stared out the window.

Yasu sighed. "If only Eiko was here – I wouldn't have to do all the legwork around here, what with Madoka being busy and all."

Mai scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What legwork? All you've done is caused problems!" Yasu took on a shocked demeanour, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"I'm insulted," he declared. "Problems? I've been trying my hardest to get you two lovebirds together and you label me as a menace?"

"Um," Masako interjected. "Yasu, I think it is best if you hold off your plans until Naru regains his true form; we don't want to brand Mai as a paedophile."

Mai gulped nervously. Nope – nopity-nope-nope-nope!

"Eiko!" he cried melodramatically. "Come back from the afterlife, my dear accomplice!"

Eiko was the lovely spirit who had turned dear, narcissistic, Naru into what he was currently – a teenager trapped in the body of a four-year-old. Mai shook her head at the resurfacing of the memories of that case – she could, with full conviction, say that that particular case was the most mortifying she'd ever experienced.

"So anyways," Mai said in an attempt to change the subject, "how'd you get the black eye?"

"Oh this?" He coughed. "Yeah, I provoked a person I shouldn't have. Granted, I'd probably do it again in a heartbeat – it was worth it."

"Worth getting your ass handed to you?" Mai asked.

"Yes," he replied forcefully, shooting her a look that asked her to politely keep her stabbing words to herself and play nice. Mai, however, didn't want to play nice. He had humiliated her one too many times; she wanted revenge.

"I just don't see how that can be when half your pride is now lying somewhere, dead."

"I'm sorry," he said, "is it pick-on-Yasu day today?"

"It's everyday," Mai said matter-of-factly.

"Says the paedophile," he countered.

"Am not!" she hollered. "Let me tell you, Little Naru does not appeal to me romantically in the least! Wanting to squeeze the life out of him is a totally different matter altogether!"

"You're denying your feelings!" Yasu shouted back. "You're denying yourself! I can't even speak to you anymore!"

"Enough!" Masako thundered, rendering both Mai and Yasu speechless and slightly ashamed of their behaviour – but mainly, they were terribly intimidated by the furious medium towering over them. Mai was compelled to do a dogeza. "What are you, children?"

"She started it."

"He started it."

"I honestly don't care who started it," she snapped. "I want it to end. Now!"

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused in unison, but unable to look one another in the face. Mai jabbed Yasu in the leg with her foot. Yasu responded by jabbing her in the cheek with a finger. Then it became serious, almost something impressive at the speed they were going. Unfortunately, it all went to hell when Yasu accidentally jabbed Masako in the stomach with his elbow.

Both halted, sweating profusely and waiting for their due punishment. None came, however, despite the medium sporting a violent look on her face. "I will be taking care of Naru, who has a fever, may I remind you. You two, get out and reflect upon your actions!"

Mai's sudden craving for Pocky could not have come at a worst time.

"Could I just grab—?"

With Masako still glaring at them and pointing sharply at the door, Mai decided to ignore her want for Pocky and leave her apartment before Masako could unleash her wrath on them. Yasu followed her out quickly. Masako looked at Naru, who was staring at her in amusement, despite his ill condition.

"Just remember, she's yours," Masako reminded him. "Unruliness and all."

He responded with a shrug.

"That only makes it more fun."


To Be Continued…


There was a slight Friends reference in there if anyone noticed. Haha. On another note, I've been thinking about making a prequel (decidedly titled, Murphy's Law) to this – to explain how four-year-old Naru came about. If I do write it, it'll happen as soon as I finish this – which I should almost be done with (hopefully) now that I've mentioned Naru getting a fever.