AN: I am BACK people!
Miss me? Awwww, I missed you too...
Don't ask how my exams went... I won't tell! ~.~
Anyways, enjoy!
A Certainty called Death
May 28, Day 3
For a moment, Mai just stood there, her eyes wide, staring at the man in front of her, the man who was slowly kissing her, and stared at his closed eyes.
And for a moment, she forgot who he was, who she was.
In her befuddled state, her traitorous hands slowly rose and wound around his neck, as if they knew what they wanted, as if they knew how she had been waiting for this for a long time.
And in response, Naru pulled her closer.
Mai finally remembered the name that went with that handsome face, and slowly closed her eyes, forgetting their argument, forgetting her doubts and questions, and his hesitance to answer them.
And she pulled him closer as well.
Her fingers were lost in his hair, softly massaging and occasionally pulling, while his hands rose up her arms and shoulders and down her back, till they settled comfortably on her waist, making Mai shiver with every touch. Naru licked her lower lip, and she allowed him in, both their pulses racing. She gave a low moan when their tongues danced and his fingers slowly rubbed circles on her waist, and with a growl he pulled her still closer. If that was even possible.
But the fog on her mind started clearing, and she snapped to attention when he let go of her lips, and kissed down her neck.
Her eyes widened, and she suddenly started pushing him. It took a moment for him to notice, but he slowly straightened, his smouldering eyes looking into hers, now and then straying to her swollen red lips.
"Naru...What...?" Mai may have regained her reign of thoughts, but her mouth still refused to work, suddenly wanting to just kiss him senseless when she looked at those blue eyes of his. It was like ice on fire. And she wanted to melt.
She closed her eyes, trying to bring her heart under control, as she tried again, "Naru..What are we doing?"
"Kissing."
Her eyes snapped open to look at him, smirking in all his glory, the fire still blazing hot. She wanted to punch herself for asking such a stupid question, but it was not her fault that her mind had been short-circuited. Or that he was still holding her so close.
She pushed him back a little, but he refused to budge, instead he pulled her closer. He started to lower his head for another mind blowing make-out session, but she turned her head away.
"Wait!"
Naru growled, but leaned back and glowered down at her, a little irritated, "What Mai?"
"We shouldn't be doing this!"
"Give me one good reason why not."
"Well, this is too...sudden! And...and we are on a case...And-"
"Not good enough." Naru said before lowering his head again.
"We were arguing! You haven't answered my questions yet!"
Naru stopped, and sighed as he stepped back a little, but still not letting go of her completely, "What do you want to know?"
Mai glared at him, appalled at how he easily forgot every question she had thrown at him not ten minutes before, when suddenly, she thought with a blush, he had kissed her. She pushed him again, but ceased her struggle when he growled.
"Everything, you jerk! You broke my heart that day! Do you even realize that? You made it clear you didn't want anything to do with me, and I would have gladly accepted that! But you had to come up with such a stupid and... and idiotic excuse that I was in love with Gene..." She now had tears in her eyes, and instead of pushing him, she started hitting him with her fists, "Only because you didn't want to waste your time properly rejecting me! Why Naru? Did you think I was not worth the trouble? And just now when I asked you... You just freaking kissed me! Why? Just what do you want from me?" She ended her rant with a final punch, which was too weak to cause any pain, but she didn't notice.
"You. I want you. I have always wanted you." Naru said softly, wiping her tears away with a hand before pulling her in, embracing her.
Mai did not respond, stunned into silence, and Naru continued, "I have been in love with you for a long time. And I was content to be able to see you everyday. I thought I would confess when the time was right." He paused, tightening his hold on her, "But when you told me about how you dreamt of Gene...I knew I had lost. There was no way I could compete with him. He was everything I am not. Even though at that time you didn't know it was Gene, I knew you would have fallen for him. And he for you. And when you confessed, I thought about just going with it, making you mine. But I couldn't do it, not when I had doubts, and knew that you being in love with him was a possibility. And that you were only projecting your feelings for him onto me, albeit unknowingly. So I had to tell you. I couldn't betray the two people I loved more than anything. I couldn't hurt you like that." He closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions, "I broke two hearts that day Mai, mine and yours. And for that I apologize."
Mai didn't speak for a while, and when Naru sighed and started moving away, she clung onto him. Naru stopped, and cautiously tightened his hold again, breathing her in. They stayed that way for a while, before Mai finally spoke.
"You know, for a genius scientist, you are quite an idiot." She raised her head to look into his eyes, "And given you doubt yourself so much, how can you even call yourself a narcissist?"
Naru raised an eyebrow at her, a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, "I never called myself that. You started it."
Mai narrowed her eyes, "It seemed legitimate at the time. Now, I'm not so sure."
"Oh? And what-"
Before the ex-narcissist could say anything further, she pulled him down by the collar and kissed him. And he kissed back instantly. But before he could take it any further into another hot and heavy make out session, she pulled back.
"I have always loved you, Naru. Granted, it was Gene who had been helping me in my dreams, but I had always wished you would smile at me like that in reality, and not just in dreams. I had even believed at first that it was you, that somehow you had powers that allowed you to come to me in my dreams. And that you went out of your way to be nice to me only because no one else was there." She giggled when he scowled, and smiled when he touched his forehead to hers, "But I had somehow known that even if the faces were the same, you both were different. And eventually, I only saw 'Dream Naru' as a guide, a helping hand. He was important to me as a friend, while out in the real world, I fell more and more in love with you, your tea addiction, and your arrogance. And I stopped wishing for you to smile at me, because I loved you the way you were." She finished with a sigh, and pecked him on the lips when he smiled at her.
"Sorry Mai. I shouldn't have...I have wasted too much time, because of that. But, no more." Naru said, and she gulped when he smirked as the fire returned in his eyes. He pulled her closer again, and leaned in as he said, "I love you Mai. And I will never let you go now."
Before Mai could protest (even if it would have been a feeble attempt), his lips were on hers, and not wasting time, their tongues danced together again. Her arms rose and wound around his neck, her fingers lost in his silky hair. His hands rested on her hips, and pulled her closer.
Eventually, the need for air came up, and they pulled back. But Naru continued kissing his way down her neck, nipping now and then, and growling low when she moaned.
It was when she felt his hot searing hand on the bare skin of her back, that she opened her eyes and gasped.
"Naru! Stop...Someone might come-"
"So?" That was his only response as he continued his ministrations, the hand on her skin rising an inch higher, making her squirm.
"Naru...wait..." She tried to sound convincing, but failed, his attack on her neck only distracting her. But fortunately, a vagrant thought entered her mind, and she used it as a last resort, "What if Yasu comes in?"
Naru stilled suddenly, and Mai bit her lips, feeling a little guilty for using that, but enjoying his reaction all the same. She giggled when he growled out in frustration, before straightening and glaring at her.
"You know I'm right." Mai said, trying to keep a straight face, but failing miserably. He glared a little more, before sighing and pulling away, opting to go to his customary chair and sit down.
"I know you are. But remember Mai, we are nowhere near done."
Naru said it with such a heated tone, that Mai felt a shiver go down her spine. He must have noticed, because he smirked at her and beckoned her with a hand.
"No, Naru." She said softly, taking a step back, more so to control herself than to prevent him from reaching out.
"You know you can't resist Mai. After all, I have good technique."
Her jaw fell open at his words, and she took another step back, shaking her head, "You know, I take my words back. You are and always will be a narcissist!"
"A lesson well learned." Was all Naru said, before turning back to the monitors, leaving Mai stunned.
Matsu Yamamoto shivered as he walked down the fated corridor.
The place where his boss, Shiro Nashi, had last been working before he jumped to his death.
Or rather, was made to jump to his death by a ghost.
Matsu shivered again.
He now felt stupid for coming here alone. He should have brought someone along! But only few of the workers had arrived so far, it was only 6.30 in the morning after all, and all of them were busy with their own chores. And he too had been given some work by Kaji-san; to continue the work that he and Nashi-san had been doing.
To work on the elevator on the ground floor, in the west wing of the building.
To make matters worse, this particular site had no windows around. For some reason, the original builder of the mall had made sure that there was no entry point to this corridor except the one archway, there weren't even any rooms here. The only use of the corridor was that it lead to the pair of elevators at the end.
One of the elevators had been completely useless, so Kaji-san had decided to replace it with a new one. But the other one was still a little usable, so they had decided to salvage it.
But so far it had refused to budge, no matter how much they worked on it.
So, Kaji-san had told him to give it one last try. If it still doesn't work, they would be replacing it as well.
He squinted a little, trying to make out the details around him with the little light that the overhead rusty bulbs provided. Kaji-san had forgotten about replacing them, it seems. Now he would have to work in the torch light, again.
He suddenly stopped and whirled around, breathing hard. He had felt a slight breeze on his neck, and seeing that there were no windows around, that was a matter of concern and fear. According to him, at least.
Matsu took a deep breath, and listened carefully. A low hum met his ears and he looked around, trying to find its source. He sighed in relief when he saw the ventilation shaft a little ahead on the ceiling. So, the breeze had been from the shaft, and fortunately not from a spirit. He laughed out at his own over-imaginative mind and a little in relief of it not being supernatural, before turning around and continuing on his way.
He felt a little brave now, as he felt no more shivers down his spine, and he whistled a tune, not hurrying anymore and taking his sweet time. The light from overhead seemed a little brighter now.
His happy tune slowed down and trailed off when he saw something ahead that completely surprised him. He had almost reached the elevators, and to his astonishment, there was a red light blinking on the side panel, indicating that the elevator he was supposed to repair was now working.
He frowned as he slowly walked up to it, wondering if someone had already repaired it and Kaji-san had forgotten about it, or Kaji-san had not been informed at all. One way or the other, his work was done.
Well, this day was turning out good for him so far, Matsu thought with a smile. He wondered how long it would last though. What if Kaji-san gave him some other difficult task to do, in an equally creepy corridor?
Alright, then he would take his own sweet time going back. Maybe take a detour or two, and maybe check up on their ghost hunters. See if they need anything. He was sure Kaji-san would appreciate that; for some reason his boss had seemed reluctant to go meet them after their last team member, Yasu-something, had arrived.
He shrugged, and giving the red light a last glance, turned around to start his trek back. He had only taken a few steps when a sound had him turning back.
The elevator tinged and opened, revealing a bright mahogany box. The light was brighter than in the corridor, and so the rectangular space within stood out. It seemed relatively clean for an elevator that had been shut for over 20 years. It's not like they had been able to even open it.
He walked to the open elevator, marvelling at the dark wood interior that gave it a posh look; like the ones that were made especially for the rich and successful. He looked back down the corridor, before turning back and entering the box. Might as well ride it up and down once to make sure it was working perfectly, than to have the boss reprimand him for a work half done. And the boss did like them to be thorough.
He turned towards the numbered panel, and pressing the button for the top floor, stood back and relaxed against the steel railing that went around and hung from three sides. The elevator hummed softly as it ascended, and Matsu felt satisfied. Granted, it was slow, which was to be expected of an old fashioned elevator. But atleast it was working, which meant it wouldn't have to be replaced. Which meant a happy boss; which meant a possible raise for Matsu.
Which meant a happy Matsu.
So, he smiled.
The elevator finally reached the top, the doors opening to another dark corridor. Matsu waited till the doors closed again, before he turned to the number panel to take the elevator back to the ground floor, when suddenly the light overhead flickered, and with a grunt, the elevator shut down. Matsu froze mid-step, a hand raised, and cursed his wishful thinking. He had officially jinxed it.
Well, no matter. Right now, his priority was getting the hell out of this suddenly creepy and cold elevator.
He knew he wouldn't be able to do anything from inside, so his only option was to shout for help. Perhaps, someone working on the fourth floor would hear him, and if needed, pry the doors open. Then he would be able to work on the elevator as he wished.
With that in mind, he took a step towards the closed doors, when he felt a shiver down his spine. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and he froze in fear.
There was someone in the elevator with him.
He did not turn, but from the corner of his eye he saw the end of blue fabric. There was quite breathing, distinct from his heavy, hard gasps, but he could still hear it. He gulped, and felt the beads of sweat on his forehead, but he did not move.
There was a small rustle, and a soft step before he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. And despite his best efforts, he felt himself turning and looking back at the source.
And straight into brilliant red eyes.
For a moment, he was amazed at how beautiful the woman was, before she smiled and he felt his blood freeze.
"Goodbye." She said in a soft voice, and as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone. Matsu thought it was all over, and was about to rejoice at his luck, when suddenly the elevator lurched once, and gave away.
The scream was stuck in his throat, and his eyes widened in terror, as the elevator plummeted down, taking him to a certain death.
Alright folks, that's all for now! I know it's short, but I promise to make the next one long!
Question: Do you think Naru and Mai should take things forward, or should I let it be T-stuff only? Give me your opinions!
And thank you all for your reviews and support till now! Means a lot to me!
Hope you liked it!
Ciao.
