"Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst."
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Chapter Ten

Taste of Home

For the first time in his life, Naru decided that he hated tea. That may have sounded crazy, maybe even a tad insane, but he had a good reason for his madness. He disliked the particular cup of tea nestled between his fingertips and had a variety of reasons as to why, all of which were morally sound. The first for instance, was the shape of the cup. It was a mug. A disgusting, heavy, and ridiculous looking mug. Tea was a sophisticated beverage, one which in all situations had to be served in a teacup. Secondly, the water was cold. Not freezing, but a distasteful sort of warmth that remind Naru of bathwater. If he wanted to drink bathwater, he could have managed to conjure up something by himself. Lastly the tea, the dreaded, ugly, and horrid cup of tea, had been made by his parents. That by far was the worst thing on his list.

"Stop frowning." Lin said calmly, sipping the beverage that had been slipped into his hands. "You look like a child."

"Why," Naru began in a dangerously polite tone, "did you get the tea cup? Of all the people to get it, you had to be the one didn't you?"

Lin didn't reply. He merely rolled his eyes, obviously perturbed by Naru's ridiculous comment. It was fairly childish, but he didn't mean it in that way at all. The statement was a form of punishment. It had only been used to annoy Lin. Naru's reason was simple; that man was responsible for bringing him to his parents home. After months of isolation, he had been dragged back to the place he wanted to avoid. It was all because Madoka wanted to delve into the secrets of his soul. Naru should have known better. He should have kept his mouth shut.

Unfortunately whining about the past didn't change anything. What had been done was done. Now he had to deal with the repercussions of his actions, which wouldn't be so terrible. At least Naru was getting what he wanted. He never desired to return to Japan in the first place, but the situation with Mai was getting out of hand. Apart of himself, a segment incredibly deep within his mind, felt responsible for her. He knew from the very beginning that something was wrong. If he didn't act on his instincts now, there was a possibility that he could be too late.

In thought, Naru swirled is tea in a circle. He watched as the liquid danced around the rim, spinning at an unprecedented rate. It symbolized his chaotic life, which did not create any form of comfort at all. It was sad actually, so much that Naru released a loud sigh. He wanted to curl up in a ball and just sleep. His day had been long and he couldn't wait for it to come to a conclusion.

"They are going to come back shortly. Try to look a little less violent."

Naru scowled and tightened his grip along the edges of his cup. He wasn't planning on listening to Lin any time soon. He was another idiot who played a role in the whole mess. Due to his foolish demands, his parents were going to see him again. Inside, Naru desperately wanted to return to his life in isolation.

"Lin," A voice echoed from the back of the kitchen, "it's so wonderful to see you again! It's been such a long time."

"It most certainly has." Lin replied, sipping his tea casually. "How have you been, Mrs. Davis?"

A light laugh echoed throughout the air. Naru couldn't help but sigh sadly. There was still something missing in his mother's voice. Perhaps no one could see it, but he had never been blind. Gene's passing had ripped something out of Luella's chest. Naru suspected that it had been her heart. It was healing, that much was obvious. Unfortunately, the process would take a long time to complete. Six or seven years only scratched at the surface of her wounds.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lin! Call me Luella."

Naru glanced at Lin before choosing to stare at his mother. She had just walked into the room. Between her fingertips was a platter filled with biscuits and desserts. There was tea as well, but that hardly caught his interest. It was the scent of apple bread that filtered throughout his senses. If there was one thing he could forgive his parents for, it was that delicious baked good. Naru resisted the urge to pluck a fresh piece of bread off of the plate and into his mouth. That would hardly be decent.

"Not that telling you matters," his mother continued before sitting along the edge of a couch, "Luella never seemed to stick."

Lin chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

There was a slight pause before Luella sighed and pushed the platter forward. "Oliver, if you're going to stare at the apple bread like that, I suggest you grab a piece. Pretending it doesn't exist won't change the fact that it's sitting in front of you."

Naru tried to pretend he wasn't surprised. He didn't fail of course, but it was difficult to hide anything from his mother. She could see through most of his icy exterior. His secrets, dreams, wishes, and aspirations were almost at her fingertips. Fortunately, she did not have to ability to see everything. That was a gift Naru gave to no one. Well, at least that's what he thought. Mai, that stupid and ridiculous girl, had the ability to stomp all across his soul like an angry child. She mixed his feelings around until they were mere splatters of paint. It was incredibly distracting.

"I'll just focus on my tea, thank you." He managed to reply in a bored tone. With an immense amount of distaste, Naru manage to swallow a mouthful of his 'bathwater'. He didn't miss the disappointed look that filtered throughout his mother's gaze. Lin rolled his eyes. It was impossible to miss the man's dismay. It nearly punched Naru in the face.

"Just ignore Oliver, Mrs. Davis. As you can see, he's in a bit of a mood."

"I don't need you to speak for me." Naru said slyly, barely holding back a gag. Drinking the tea had been a terrible mistake. It was worse than bathwater. The beverage tasted like old people, which wasn't even supposed to be a possibility.

"Clearly."

A scowl slid across Naru's mouth. He hated when Lin exploited his behaviour to the world. It was his own personal form of punishment, one that suddenly came into existence after his activities the night before. Interfering with his date obviously deserved some sort of retribution.

"I'm glad you think so. Otherwise we would have quite the misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding or not," Luella began in a gentle tone, "I'm glad you're here. It's been too long."

Naru squirmed under his mother's gaze. He didn't chose to say anything. In many ways there was little he could say. In the grand scheme of things, he wasn't really a dutiful son. He avoided each of Luella's calls and fled at any opportunity to see her. It was terrible and there was nothing he could vocalize that wouldn't sound rude, patronizing, or completely offensive.

Luella sighed and focussed on her cup of tea. "I suppose I should get right to the point. You two must have came here for a reason. Tell me what it is. I'll see what I can do to help."

Lin sent Naru an angry glare. It was obvious—he didn't appreciate how he continued to worry his mother. "Well, Oliver wanted to see you of course. As you have said it's been awhile."

A soft smile slid across Luella's mouth. Naru wanted to punch himself in the face. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad that you came to visit me. Unfortunately, your father is unable to be here. He is working on a pretty serious case. I'm certain you understand."

"Yes, although he may have been of assistance. The other reason why we are here. It's due to a—"

"I'm going to Japan." Naru spit out, smoothly cutting Lin off.

A frightened look immediately slid across Luella's face. Despite the sudden transition in conversation, she managed to quickly compose herself. "Japan?"

"There is a parapsychology conference in that area this year. I have been invited to attend."

"Martin told me that you refused to go. If I recall, he said that you believed the risks outweighed the benefits."

Believe it or not, Naru was good at lying. He could fabricate a ridiculous story with a flourish of his hand and a well executed gleam in his eyes. It would be difficult for his mother to believe it of course, but that didn't stop him. If a little falsehood would ease Luella's spirits, that's what would be done. He didn't feel bad about the whole situation at all. He personally thought it was an enormous waste of time. Unfortunately it had been Lin's only condition for going after Mai in the first place. He was certain that the man didn't want to hurt his mother in any way, but that was besides the point. In the end she would be fine. No harm would really be done.

Before he continued to speak, Naru finished the contents of his ugly cup. He managed to swallow the tea without gagging again, which in his mind deserved some sort of reward. "I was asked to reconsider. Correct, Lin?"

His friend barely suppressed a glare. Naru couldn't help but smile. Involving Lin in the lie would make the whole story more convincing. "Yes, that is correct."

"What reason?"

"Science." Naru managed to reply while running a hand through his messy hair.

When Luella sighed loudly, Lin quickly began to speak. "What Oliver means to say, is that he would like to meet up with some old friends."

That caught him by surprise. Naru narrowed his eyes, suddenly wishing he could dump a whole pot of tea over Lin's obnoxious head. There was no point in lying if he was basically going to spit the truth out anyways. That just wasted even more time, which was pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in terms of stupidity.

"Friends? Forgive me, Oliver, but you're going to have to explain this a little more thoroughly." Luella said as she snatched a piece of apple bread and popped it into her mouth. For a second Naru forgot to be mad.

"A few of my colleges are going to be attending the conference in Japan. The research they have been doing relates to my work. I would be throwing away a good opportunity if I refused to go."

"I see." Luella said while sliding another piece of bread into her mouth. "Could I contact these friends of yours? I'm sure that Martin would want to make sure that they are qualified. Plus they would have to understand the conditions of your situation. It's dangerous."

Naru pinched the bridge of his nose, sucking in a deep breath of air. His mother was beginning to ramble. She was worried and would likely interfere with the whole situation. In annoyance, he sent a scowl in Lin's direction. If the plan had went his way, Luella would have never gotten involved. Unfortunately, his friend had to to destroy everything with his feelings. It was enough to drive a madman insane.

"Mrs. Davis, that won't be necessary." Lin said in a calm voice. "You met these people five years ago. They completely understand Oliver's reasons for travelling to Japan. They always have."

"The girl—I remember her. What was her name?" Luella asked in a careful tone.

That was another surprise. Of all the people his mother remembered in Japan, it had to be Mai. Naru honestly didn't understand why that idiot was beginning to take over his life. It was ridiculous on a variety of levels. He didn't need his whole family suddenly obsessing over a girl he used to know. They knew nothing about her, not even her name apparently.

"Mai Taniyama." He managed to spit out against his will. Her name tasted like acid against his tongue.

"Yes, I remember her quite well actually. She was very sweet." Luella said quietly. She looked down at her tea cup, a sad smile consuming her lips. "Does she really understand your situation, Oliver? Did she know about Gene?"

"You could say that she knows more than the average person." Lin muttered quietly, his voice muffled due to another mouthful of tea.

Naru recoiled in shock. His face probably didn't change very much, but that was besides the point. Disbelief filtered throughout his veins like some sort of deadly drug. For a moment, it numbed his senses to the point of oblivion. He couldn't believe what Lin had chosen to say. With the ease of a child, he had taped a huge implication on top of Naru's head like a dollar sign. It was degrading—no, debilitating. He could barely breathe. The idea of being romantically involved with that girl was beyond the realm of understanding. It actually hurt his head to even think about it. When he ever had the chance, Lin was going to pay. He didn't care how, it was just going to happen.

"She knows enough." Naru hissed through his teeth, glaring at Lin with the intensity of a serial killer.

Luella laughed, her voice jingling like a pair of bells. "That is good to hear. Have you been in contact with her?"

Naru wanted to die inside. That was a loaded question. Everyone in the room knew it, even Lin, who suddenly became enraptured with his tea cup. Unfortunately, there was only one way he could answer his mother's inquiry. Mai had been officially tied into the lie. If he said anything else but a resounding yes, it would all be over. At this point, that could not happen.

With difficulty, Naru met Luella's eyes. He ignored how her smile seemed to reach her eyes. "Yes I have."

"Have you made plans?"

Another loaded question. In order to save himself, Naru directed the conversation to his so called friend. "Lin is responsible for all of the arrangements. From what I know, he has everything figured out."

"So you are going to Japan? For sure?"

Lin quickly set his teacup down. It appeared as though it was no longer an object of complete interest. Naru tried to find amusement in his behaviour, but failed dramatically. Nothing could lift his spirits now. Somehow his mother believed he was romantically involved with another human being. The situation was almost too much to bear.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis. Our flight leaves in approximately two days."

A loud sigh escaped from Luella's mouth. "I would ask you to stay, but I won't, Oliver. As much as it pains me to say it, you are old enough to make your own decisions. I won't stop you. All I ask is that you tell your father about this. I can't promise that he won't interfere."

"May I ask why?"

"Martin received an invitation to the event as well. He was planning to attend. If you are set on going, he will certainly expect to see you there."

And there was Naru's cage. In a matter of seconds it had come crashing from the sky and suddenly landed at his feet. He should have known that his family would never let him slip from their fingertips. Despite everything his parents believed he was too fragile. If someone did something—anything, they thought he would shatter like glass. He was a relic after all. Naru was a symbol of his brother and the past. There was no way his parents would be letting that go any time soon.

"I'll be sure to give him a call before the plane takes off." Naru said calmly, frustration slowly accumulating within his body.

"Would it be possible for you to call him today? Maybe he can take the flight with you and Lin."

"I thought he was busy with a serious case?"

Luella smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He can be persuaded to take a break. I'm certain he would love to spend some time with his son."

Naru sucked in a deep breath of air. "We will see."

For the longest time silence dominated the room. No one chose to speak. Naru was too mad to even consider vocalizing any frame of thought. Lin was once again occupied with his perfect little tea cup and his mother was obviously consumed in worry. At this point talking wouldn't help anyone. So instead of doing anything, Naru stared at the apple bread his mother had created. He wanted a piece, but due to his pride, would have nothing to do with it. He supposed that was how most of his life went. Ignoring people, places, and things was how he coped with the world.

The silence carried on for awhile, but not long enough in Naru's opinion. As soon as he became comfortable with the thought of no longer speaking, his phone began to go off. A scowl slipped across his features as his pulled it out of his pocket. He didn't bother checking the caller ID—it was probably some idiot at the university, or worse, his father. No one he liked ever bothered to call, but that was probably because he liked no one in the first place.

"Hello?" Naru asked after bringing the device to his ear. He suppressed a groan of outrage, wondering why everything in the world seemed to hate him.

"Naru, Oliver—whatever name you go by, are you there? Can you hear me?"

There was no way Naru could pretend he didn't know who was calling. He would have loved to of course, but at the moment he didn't really have a choice. "Houshou Takigawa? How did you get this number? I don't recall ever giving it to you."

"You didn't." He replied quietly, his voice crackling from the speaker.

Confusion filled Naru's veins. He sent a sidelong glance at Lin, wondering why the monk of all people would decide to give him a call. "Obviously."

"Look," he said pausing to take a breath, "I'm calling you through Mai's cell phone. For some reason she had your number."

"Why are you using her phone?" Naru asked suspiciously, his heart suddenly leaping to his throat. For some reason he felt incredibly sick. The headache, the one that had plagued his brain the night before, had suddenly returned. It nibbled away at his thoughts, ensuring that nothing remained but fear. It could have been annoyance, but at this point Naru couldn't tell. After a week of torture he was prepared to believe in anything.

"What I'm about to tell you—Naru, you aren't going to like it."

Another prominent scowl slid across Naru's lips. "Spit it out, monk. I don't have all day."

He wasn't prepared for what Houshou said next. He merely sat dumbly, too shocked about what he had been forced to hear. The whole situation only confirmed what Naru had come to believe; the world despised his soul. That was the only explanation for what had come to pass. After a week full of warnings he hadn't acted fast enough. It seemed that fate, despite its familiarity, refused to treat him like a long lost friend.

Before he could speak—before he could even whisper a single word, Luella crept directly into his line of sight. He didn't look into her eyes, as that would betray every thought that slipped through his mind. Naru simply sat quietly, listening to Houshou speak. If he had a choice, his phone would have become small splinters of metal ages ago. Of course, destroying such an object would do nothing in the long run. It wouldn't change the information that flooded through his mind at each passing second.

"Here," his mother said softly, setting a plate along his lap. "It looks like you need something to live through that phone call."

Sucking back his pride for a mere second, Naru looked down, not even phased by what he saw. Apple bread, the delicacy he secretly adored, was balanced carefully along his knees. He wanted to refuse the dessert, but unfortunately he no longer had the power to do so. It was too close. Ignoring something right in front of his face was a challenge he could no longer avoid.

Disregarding Lin's questioning stare, Naru broke the bread in several segments before popping a piece into his mouth. He enjoyed the flavour of apple, cinnamon, and sugar bursting upon his tongue. It was full of memories, something he enjoyed despite the seriousness of the situation. Taking a deep breath, Naru chose to acknowledge his mother. He met her warm brown gaze, permitting her a second of his complete and utter attention. He was certain that she saw his worry. If not that, something Naru wouldn't have to ability to fully understand.

A/N: Hi, everyone! Here is another update! I have had this finished for several days now, which is nice for a change. Usually I scramble to compose another chapter, but this one came to me relatively easily. That is good, as I have had time to begin writing chapter eleven. It's back in Mai's point of view. Once you read that little segment I'm certain the purpose of Hoshou's phone call will become clear. Until that time my dear readers, you will all just have to wait and see what happens. I apologize for the pain I may cause until then.

Wow! You guys are so awesome! I never thought people would enjoy this story so much! Seriously, thank you all for the support. I appreciate everyone's feedback and responses. It really is nice to hear. Please continue to comment! Like I said, I enjoy hearing all of your ideas.

AmayaSarana: Thank you so much! I have been struggling as of late, and your review definitely cheered me up. Don't worry; Naru will be returning to Japan VERY soon. I'm pretty certain he will make an appearance in chapter twelve! I'm sorry if his return is taking awhile…I like to build everything up. It makes everything really fun later. I'm glad you enjoy how I write the main characters! I think it's important to portray them accurately within any sort of story. That's what brings them to life, right? Anyways, I hope you have an amazing day! You are awesome!

AmyNChan: That is actually a very good question. Mai, why did you pick up that darn book?

ThePurplePomegranate: Thanks for letting me know about the errors! Sometimes I write pretty late at night, so my brain decides that adding typos will somehow make the plot more interesting. Do you mind telling me where they are? What paragraphs are they in? I hate stupid mistakes, so let me know! Yes, I knew that was you. Who else would decide to make that username? I will definitely be writing over the winter break, so be prepared! I will update!

TeaAndWarmSocks: Thanks, friend! You always edit my work, so I'm glad you enjoy reading it.

FireStarRD: I'm glad you enjoy this story! Keep reading!