Ok, this may be the last one till after new years. MAY. We'll see how I go about getting to a computer while I'm at my Grandma's.

This is shorter than the last few installments, but I found it more enjoyable to write. So enjoy!

Thanks once again to all who reviewed, or added me to their alerts. Merry Christmas!!


Playing with Naru-chan: Hurry up, Lin!

Naru looked at the girl beside him in barely disguised disbelief, amazed that she could rant on about the colour black for so long. They'd been stuck in the dark underground storage room for over an hour, waiting for someone to realise they'd gone missing and come look for them, and Mai had assaulted his ears with a constant barrage the whole time.

First it had been too dark, then it had been too hot, which had one way or another lead Mai to criticizing his dress sense. Even he, the self-confident genius, had begun to question his choice of clothing. And that never happened.

"Really Naru, you're eighteen, dress like it!" Mai huffed, poking his arm roughly. Naru threw her a withering glare, which she returned completely unaffected.

"Mai…" He said warningly, irritated enough to make a mental note of getting navy coloured shirts, if only to shut her up a little bit. Mai continued to glare at him, looking as though she was going to continue anyway.

"Fine." She muttered finally, seeing she wasn't going to get anywhere by continuing any further. "I'll shut up about your fashion sense. But really, I think you're insane to be wearing the same colour every single day." She fell silent at the warning look Naru shot her way.

Finally. Naru thought, relieved that she had stopped for the time being. He leant back, resting his head against the wall behind them, and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence.

Mai sat there glaring at the shelves opposite in a vain attempt to distract herself. Slowly she'd begun tapping her finger in agitation, resisting the urge to resume ranting. The tapping soon became twiddling her thumbs, and then full on fidgeting. After five minutes of agonising silence, she let out a frustrated growl, and turned to face Naru once again.

"I'm going insane." She said bluntly, Naru didn't move.

"You aren't going." He replied simply. "You're already there." Mai resisted the urge to hit him on the head, chanting silently in order to keep her temper.

Must not act like Ayako. Must not act like Ayako. Must not act like Ayako.

It worked; at least, she no longer wanted to put into a coma. Just draw blood. Maybe leave a scar. Yes, a nice big pretty scar that she could then tattoo 'Inflicted by Mai' next to. She smirked, thinking his forehead would be the best place. Then he'd have to see it every time he looked in the mirror.

A fitting punishment for a narcissist, if she did say so herself.

"You're driving me insane." She iterated once she'd calmed herself down enough to not physically injure the young man. "You, and your irritating wardrobe." Naru opened his eyes long enough to shoot her an annoyed glare.

"Seriously," she spoke, deliberately ignoring him. "You have no idea how much I want to keep calling you an idiot at the moment." She turned a glare on him. "Topic change, now. Something happy or I'll keep ranting."

Naru stared at her. She stared back at him determinedly. Blinking, slightly surprised, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Cookies?"

Mai stared at him. "Cookies?" She frowned at him. "Naru, of all the things you could choose, you chose cookies?" Naru didn't reply, instead he just looked away from her appearing every bit annoyed.

"All there is to say is they are yummy..." She continued, knowing he was listening. He had to; there was nothing else to do. "Especially the choc chip ones and that's about it."

Mai poked him in the arm, staring at him stubbornly. "Try again."

Naru sighed in irritation. "Mai, why can't you just enjoy the silence?" He asked tiredly. Mai looked thoughtful a moment.

"Because I don't like being stuck in small, dark places." She replied eventually. "And we've been stuck in here for ages, with no light, and no way of getting anyone's attention." She threw him irritated glare. "Honestly, why did you insist we stop to check in here, anyway?"

Naru froze. "I thought I saw something." He said stiffly. Mai raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter."

Mai huffed at him. "What?"

"It's none of your concern."

"Like hell it isn't." Mai grumbled sarcastically. "I'm stuck in here with you to, in case you didn't notice."

Naru glared at her. "How could I have not noticed?" He said scathingly. "You've barely shut up about my choice in clothes since we've been here."

"Well excuse me for having an opinion!" Mai growled indignantly. "You're taste in clothes is horribly boring. You dress like an old man!"

And Mai was off on a rant again. Naru cringed, begging silently that Lin thought to come looking for them soon. He had a sneaky suspicion that he'd have a new wardrobe next week if he had to listen to anymore of this.

Hurry up, Lin!