"Naru you're going to be late to your meeting" Mai shouted, pulling on a sweatshirt over her shirt. She didn't hear a response and with a sigh she headed out of her bedroom to the room down the hall and opened the door. After the last case Naru had decided to turn one of her extra rooms into his own office, this way he could keep working without Lin getting onto him for working too hard. She scolded him too but it didn't seem to really bother him enough, and he often ignored her when she told him to go home and go to sleep. It was a secret between the two in a way, Lin didn't know about this room or anyone else in the gang in fact. Whenever they came over they assumed that the room was still empty and the two had decided to leave it that way, knowing that no one would approve of the idea of Naru spending hours late into the night at her home. Of course, he didn't do anything, Naru never did anything like that, he didn't feel that way when he was a teen and he didn't feel that way now. That thought almost made her chest hurt sometimes, knowing Naru actually had no feelings for her. He was always acting like a gentleman, not as a love interest. He thought she loved Gene.
"Come on, it's almost nine" She said, looking around the office till her eyes lay on the young man, asleep at his desk. He had been working all through the night; she had stayed up most of it as well studying for her exams that were coming up. These results would give her opinions available for college as well as what financial support could be offered. Even with Naru's support of her she always had to make sure to careful with money, she didn't go out to eat with friends very often and she made dinner most nights to save money. In fact she couldn't remember the last time she had gone to karaoke with them, but it was alright, she had to save and she smiled as she walked over to Naru, shaking him slightly. "If you don't get up you'll be late. Do you want me to reschedule it?" She said in his ear and he let out a sound of annoyance, sitting up. He had obviously not slept in a very comfortable manner. He looked her at her and she smiled, and she glanced around the room. "You should get a couch if you're going to sleep here"
"Lin would become suspicious" He grumbled, and he stood up, his clothes wrinkled.
"And you disappearing almost every night isn't? Here I'll iron your shirt" Mai said, the man not protesting as he slipped off his dress shirt. She walked into the kitchen, folding down the ironing board. He followed after her and sat on the counter, watching her small fingers iron his shirt. He had changed in the night so he wouldn't have to this morning, but it seemed the plan hadn't exactly worked out for him. Mai hummed and he got himself some cereal and turned on the TV for the two of them.
"He thinks I'm looking into the murder of Gene" Naru said after the silence and she looked up him, a bit surprised then looked back quickly to the shirt. She finished off and he took it, buttoning it up. She took the cereal he had poured for her and the two sat, watching the television. It was obvious that what he said made an uncomfortable feeling between the two of them. They hadn't talked much about Gene since he came back, just a little word here and there referring to him and even then Mai felt unwell the entire day. It was obvious that he had moved on, no longer guiding Mai but between the two of them there was a hurt feeling. Mai couldn't think of the man without a pain building in her chest, a sour taste in her mouth.
"That's good" She mumbled, and she walked back to the kitchen to set both of their bowls in the sink. He was now slipping on her shoes, and getting his coat on. She leaned against the counter, watching his movement. He stood there for a second and looked at her as he opened the door.
"Sorry."
"It's ok"
Then he was gone and she walked over to the door, locking it. Mai stood there for a moment, breathing in and out slowly before she heard the sound of dishes breaking. Turning around she watched as their two bowls smashed to the ground and all the other glass on the counter. It wasn't a ghost that was doing this. It was her. This little fits her powers were having started a couple of weeks ago, after Naru started moving his office stuff into her home. Mai had no intention of telling him about them; though it was getting harder and harder the more she did without thinking. "I'm not even upset about it" She grumbled then watched as another plate smashed to the ground, making her let out a large sigh. Walking over slowly she started to sweep up the debris and looked at the clock. She had about three hours till she was supposed to meet up with Yashura and she could get the grocery shopping done by then, though with two bowls, a plate and a couple of cups smashed on the floor it would have to take a good hour to get this cleaned up. Letting out a moan of annoyance she quickly sweep up all that she could and put a broom on the walkway to the kitchen, trying to give a warning to Naru if he got back before she did. She pulled on her jacket, zipping it up and headed out.
"Hello Taniyama-san!" She heard someone and she looked over to see her neighbors, an elderly couple who were heading out the door just like her. When first moving in they had insisted on helping her with getting her stuff into her new home and it seemed Naru had them keep an eye on her.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Sackio" She said, smiling at them and the three headed down the stairs together.
"I saw your handsome boyfriend heading out this morning" The older woman said, giggling and Mai blushed, trying to stutter out an answer.
"He's not my boyfriend, he's my boss."
"Oh, just make sure to be safe. Having children so young is exhausting" The woman said and Mai stood there for a second as the couple moved on, her jaw hanging. She hadn't expected such a comment from the woman but thinking back, all of her children were in their forty's and she was only sixty or so. Finally getting her sense back she headed down the street toward the market and picked up the groceries she needed for the next couple days. Since Naru started coming over she had started to make dinner more often, too embarrassed to ask him to eat ramen cup noodles. He never complained but she knew that he probably ate better in England or even with Lin than with her.
"What kind of old woman says that?" She mumbled, referring to the woman's comment as she made it up the steps and with some trouble got her keys out. Mai unlocked the door and headed in, then everything went out of control. Her head was spinning and she gasped as her groceries slipped out of her hands, her body falling backwards onto the carpet, the dreams consumed her. Then there was a knock at the door.
She opened her eyes to find herself lying in a field; she sat up and looked around. Her mother would be angry if she didn't head home soon.
Then Mai woke up in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin and her jackets hung over the chair. Laying there she tried recalling how she had gotten in bed, and with a bit of thinking she realized she had passed out in the living room. The only person who could have found her was Naru and she sat up quickly, heading out of her room, and once in the living room she found him putting away the groceries. He looked up at her surprised.
"Go back to bed Mai" He said, looking at the bruised apples, as if deciding he could somehow save them as well as the dented cans.
"I have to go to the college and meet Yashura" She argued
"Coming back to the home to find you passed out in the entryway is not a good sign, I called up Lin. He'll be here soon to take you to the hospital" He said, closing the fridge with annoyance.
"You called up Lin? Why in the world, I mean. It was a dream Naru" She stuttered, obviously surprised by his actions.
"Dreams in the middle of the day aren't normal Mai. It's something-" He started, then paused and looked at her, almost like he was trying to size her up. He sighed. "Something that Gene had, and it's very dangerous Mai. You might have hit your head" But he could see Mai was frustrated, her frown showing she was fighting to show a strange face in front of him. "We won't go to the hospital if you just rest, and you can meet Yashura tomorrow" He said, and walked over to the girl. Mai seemed to calm a bit and allowed him to guide her back into her bedroom and she crawled back under her covers.
"I had a dream about a girl today Naru" She mumbled as he helped pull her blanket over her feet. "I was a young girl, and I was in a field. Does that mean anything? "She asked and she watched him think, his face contoured in thought.
"We got a new case Mai; we'll be leaving tomorrow evening"
"What is it about?" She asked, sitting up and with a huff she laid back down after he looked at her. He pulled up a chair to her, seeing that it would keep her from getting up.
"It's a home out in the country. The extended family lives there but for the time being only the older people are there" He said, looking down her as he could see she was falling asleep
"Why is that?" She mumbled
"The young people are being possessed and trying to kill themselves in a field"
Sorry I didn't get this up by when I expected to! I started this during a break and didn't really notice how long it took to sit down and write one chapter!
It takes so long T_T
Welcome to Alexia1993, Alluka HK Mustang, Cali Dreamweaver, and Mafuyu Mia as followers! I'm so excited to meet all of you!
Nice to meet you moon-chan! And yes, Naru is motherhenish isn't he...
deadlylobelia123, hehe, yes. I hope Mai won't be getting invovled with any more glass soon too, but with how accident prone she is. Sigh. i'm not sure..
hanner22killer Thank you, your comments really keep me going ^^
thearistcrat, oh goodness, are you having a feels seizure over there? It's ok, even though I am the one writing it I get feel seizures when I read through it.
Musical Teardrops, i'll defiently look into that story and yup. It does seem Mai is growing stronger because of Naru. I'll start pming once reviews get over about twenty a chapter, maybe less if it looks like too much :3
p. ageha, oh the fluff. I do feel like Ayako should yell at Monk more but that poor man, he can only suffer so much brain damage. I think i'll try another case with spiders, I just really can't think of anything for the moment. Meh. Oh poor Naru, Mai really can't refuse a dare. She really can't.
deadlyrose123, oh ya i heard about that too, If it's the article I read then I actually read the piece that she talked about that. So far though, she liked them as a couple but she had already planned since 12 years ago to not get them together. So she won't, and told us to read another manga for that. Sigh.
Nah, it didn't end shinigamiinPeru, it's only begining! :3
Thank you for the support through my first case and your contnuied support for this new one!
