Last chapter was AMAZING! So glad so many liked it ;D If you'd like to make some suggestions for chapter 9, I'm totally open to you guys. Special thanks to the following for awesome reviews:
Lovenarumai, Benzybaby, Ferb O. Oche, ChristinCC and Naginifay.
P.S. For a good soundtrack to read this fanfic with, look up twilightstar423 on YouTube. They've downloaded the entire original soundtrack for the anime on their channel. I will put up song recommendations for the playlist every scene change. I will also be updating my other chapters to have this feature.
Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Once Again
(Song 15 - Rikai recommended here)
Mai's eyes were wide in shock. The man let loose his lips from hers, a hand still on her face, which was blushing red beyond belief.
And so was his.
"I've waited so long for you to do that, Naru."
He blinked, continuing to stare into the chocolate eyes he had become so fond of during the past year. Mai and Naru had been on so many cases together and not once did he ever stop to tell her how he really felt about her.
Mai looked up at the stars, shining brightly like jewels above her auburn head.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her face returning to its normal colour. "The stars are beautiful tonight…"
Naru gazed at them with her, placing his hand back to his side. "Yes. They are."
Mai looked at the man again. She thought not only about him but what waited at the shore.
We're finally going back again…
(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)
The said girl looked back at the rest of SPR.
They all gawked.
Mai's face flushed bloodred again, as well as Yasu's and Masako's. Monk stared at her, wide-eyed, a weird sound emitting from his throat. Ayako's eyebrows reached her hairline, her mouth falling into a perfect 'O'. Lin, who sat with John (who was rowing the boat), cocked an eyebrow at Naru, then continued to grab an oar and row with Ayako, Monk and John.
Naru's face was pure red.
Ayako interrupted the awkward silence that draped over them like a heavy blanket. "W-What possessed you to do THAT, Naru?!"
The man remained silent, staring at his feet.
Mai looked at him, impudent. You honestly can't be ashamed of kissing me if you knew that everyone else would notice!?
The rest of the irregulars turned slowly to face the direction the boat was going.
This is going to be a long boat ride… _
(No music here.)
Clouds of pink and orange circled the low-hanging sun on the morning horizon. Distant lights shone brightly on the shore of HMCS Ontario.
Finally, SPR had returned.
Monk was the first to climb out of the boat. He helped out all of the others, then pulled the lifeboat on the dock. SPR became situated on the dock, walking around until they found someone.
Suddenly, a woman burst out of the main building. "Have you seen my husband?!" She yelled out.
Naru jogged up to her, the inky-blue hair of his glowing slightly orange in the morning sun. "Who is he?" His English was spectacular.
"David! Where is David?" The woman responded. Guilt and pity sank into Mai's stomach.
Oh no… David isn't even alive…
She doesn't know that her husband died during the accident on the ship… How will Naru tell her?
Naru stared at the woman. A trace of sadness was visible in his indigo eyes.
"David is no longer of this world."
The woman's hands slid up to her face. "W-what do you mean?"
"David went with us on the ship when we went to exorcise it. The ropes snapped, and we hit an iceberg on the trip. The ship sank, and your husband didn't make it to the lifeboat on time." Naru's tone was low and regretful.
Tears ran down the woman's face. "He…he didn't even live a full life…"
Masako held up a hand to Naru as if to tell him not to respond. She glided over to the crying woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"David may not have lived a full life, but the one he had was most definitely enjoyable. I'm sure he will see you on the Bridge – in the afterlife. David will always be with you."
The medium's eyes lowered and she dropped her head, eyes closed. "I feel him right now."
The woman dried her face. "Yes… I guess it would be wise to move on. I can't live in the past forever…"
Her eyes glowed with a certain happiness for her husband's safe passage into the afterlife. "My name is Elizabeth Campbell. It was lovely to meet you all." Her gaze rested on Masako. "Thank you."
The woman walked away, leaving SPR to do their own thing.
Lin turned to the rest after she stalked away. "We best get to the hotel again. Our flight leaves…" He stared at his watch, embroidered with Chinese symbols. "…At 3:00 in the afternoon tomorrow."
SPR clambered into the rental van and drove back to the hotel.
Mai closed the car door behind her, climbing the steps into the hotel. SPR checked in, and walked up to the room section once more.
They all filed into their designated rooms, feeling a great weight lifted off of their shoulders.
Mai left to the bathroom to change into something dry, Naru sprawling onto his bed, exhausted from the day's work. He cracked open the same book he read the day before, silent.
Mai opened the bathroom door, walking out in her floral pyjamas and pink slippers. "Bathroom's all yours, Naru."
He grunted in approval and sat up, walking to the room Mai had just left.
The girl watched as he walked.
She loved how he walked.
Mai turned around, tired beyond belief, eyeing Naru's black trenchcoat as she paced to her bed. She flopped onto the red velvet, feeling great to know that she was halfway to going home.
Mai closed her eyes, falling asleep as soon as her eyelids covered the nutmeg brown orbs beneath.
(Song 6 – Densetsu recommended here)
Mai's eyes flew open. She stood in a black dreamscape, colourful orbs dancing gracefully around her auburn head.
If I'm having a dream like this again, then 'Dream Naru' will be in front of me in at least five seconds.
Something moved in the darkness.
Four.
Mai spotted a blue mess of hair crowned upon the man's head in the distance.
Three.
His dark clothes became more visible as he came closer.
Two.
The man stood a few feet away from Mai, a beautiful smile glowing on his face.
One.
'Dream Naru' stood in front of Mai now, still smiling wider than ever. "Hello, Mai." He greeted softly.
"Hey, Naru…" Mai responded, not looking up at him, but staring at her feet, ashamed of what the man may say about their 'moment' earlier today.
"Why do you look so…nervous?"
Mai looked up at him. That should have been her first clue. When the girl remained silent, 'Dream Naru' bent down to her height, a look of questioning upon his pale face.
"Why..?" Mai whispered.
"Why what?"
Mai rubbed her hand over her left shoulder. "Why did you…kiss me?"
The man looked taken aback and pleased at the same time. "Wh-what do you m-mean? I…I kissed you?!" He blinked furiously. Just about as furious as the red that blanketed his face.
"You don't remember?" Mai's voice rose angrily.
"Well, no. I didn't do anything of the sort."
The brunette looked impudently at him. "Well then…"
She turned away from him, walking slowly while thoughts bloomed in her head.
(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)
Mai awoke the next morning to no sound. She glanced sleepily at her alarm clock.
It read 9:03.
"WHAT?!" Mai whispered, shocked. "Did I miss the first meeting this morning?!"
She clambered out of the red duvet and got dressed. She chose her pale yellow beach house t-shirt and blue skirt. Mai ran out of the room, keycard in hand. She panted as she reached the hallway.
There was nothing there.
No sounds, no members of SPR gathered to meet before they left for a case.
Oh, right…The case was solved yesterday.
Mai trudged back in the room, disappointed that she had woken up for nothing. Although – since I'm up, I might as well do something productive.
But what? Housekeeping already cleans the rooms for the people staying. And since the case was done, what is there to do that's unfinished?
Mai sighed. She glanced around the room, looking for something to do. Her eyes fell upon Naru.
I wonder whether he normally sleeps in after cases are done…
(Song 15 – Rikai recommended here)
The girl tiptoed across the hotel room floor. She stopped at Naru's bed, thinking about what he had said to her in her dream last night.
But was it even Naru?
Him, of all people, would remember if they had done something…important.
Anyway – I shouldn't stay here for any longer; He could wake up and find me staring at him…
But Mai didn't move. She felt like she couldn't.
She didn't want to.
Mai stayed where she was. She looked at the man's face, relaxed and stress-free – the same way his eyebrows and lips relaxed when he read.
Mai wanted to use her index finger to trace out his beautiful face and every detail that made it. She wanted to lay beside him, sharing the same dreams. She wanted to be near him forever. She wanted to actually be able to love him.
Mai reached out a hand to move around and play with his blueish hair for once in her life without being berated for it.
Naru's eyes opened slowly.
OH MAN.
He stared at her, a smirk stretching across his face.
"And good morning to you too."
THAT'S A WRAP! Longest amount of pages for a chapter I wrote so far. Thanks to all of my viewers for your complete patience with this project, chapter 9 will be started soon. I'm going to have Mai mention 'Dream Naru' to Actual Naru next time around.
Special thanks to theflamingrose for your great ideas – they'll be in the next chapter. I promise you.
See you all later and have a great week!
-xXxNaru-LovexXx
