Author's Note:

My first Ayako x Takigawa fic, please review! Dedicated to all TakigawaAyako shippers, Sw33t-soft-m3lody and other ghost hunt readers.

Disclaimers:

I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Trapped Within

"Because the ones we say we hate the most are the ones we end up falling for the hardest"

"Argh! Why me?! Of all the stupid people around why would that narcissistic boy pick my beautiful psyche to be pair with a hopeless and old ex-monk like you?" Ayako whined as both she and Takigawa make their way around the abandoned building.

"Because Naru-bou thinks you are the most stupid person with all beauty and NO brain. He thinks that you'll need more guarding than Mai would." Takigawa Houshou retorted with a smirk.

Ayako smiled her foxy smile. "See? You admitted I am beautiful…" Ayako then stopped walking as the latter comment of Bou-san sink in her brain. "Hey! Did you just call me dumb?" she questioned the ex-monk with venom.

"Think of it anyway you like… Facts remain facts." he replied exasperated. Ayako growled. Takigawa cannot help smirking at the angry flushed face of Ayako.

Then made a sharp turn, to come face to face with a dead end.

"What now?! OH! Don't tell me we're lost?! You're really impossible Takigawa!" Ayako said complained.

"Hey! Don't put all the blame on me… if only you're a bit quieter. Then we wouldn't end up getting lost. You're ruining my concentration." He barked obviously annoyed that he's being blame.

"As if you know how to concentrate." she said to him.

Takigawa growled. "Don't start acting smart now miko-sama… everyone knows how useless you can get on cases." He snapped running a hand on his sandy blonde hair.

Ayako stomped her stiletto boots at Takigawa. The man cried in pain clutching his injured foot.

"YOU!" Takigawa growled. Ayako looked innocently at him. "Oh. I'm sorry, if only your foot isn't in my way." She said smirking.

Takigawa sighed. 'This woman is so infuriating' he thought hopelessly.

They return a couple of blocks from their previous tracks making a new turn. This time they ended up in a closed door. Bou-san opened the door with a hard kick since the doorknob doesn't seem to cooperate.

"Looks like, this is the way to the basement" he said.

"I don't see it any other way" Ayako replied.

Takigawa sighed heavily again. 'Expect Ayako to act all superior.' He can't help the smile appearing on his face. 'Well, I won't have it any other way' he thought smiling stupidly.

They walk down the long dark stairs to the basement. Using flashlights as their means of light they trek all the way to the basement. Reaching the bottom step, they saw an iron-steel door.

"Looks like a dungeon to me" Ayako said she sniffed the air. "But from the smell of the place… I assume it's a secret laboratory." She said.

Takigawa silently agreed. "But why would Naru send us down here?" Takigawa asked pulling out a piece of paper. Ayako scooted beside him pointing at the piece of paper in his hand.

"Maybe some earth ghost is haunting the basement and he wants me to exorcise it for him…"

"Yeah right… earth elements. If you said something more intelligent I would have believe you,." Takigawa said with sarcasm.

Ayako glared at him in the darkness. Takigawa tried the lock and find it wasn't lock he undid the lock pushing the door open as they walk inside the dark smelly dungeon.

"Judging from the looks of it, this place wasn't used for almost a decade now. Or maybe couples of decades… look at the charred wall. It's all black and gray. Holy! This place looks eerily rotten and freaky." He said as he roam inside the room looking at the experiment jars, mummified bodies of unknown. He turns around to find Ayako standing in front of what looks like a table.

"What did you got there?" he asked approaching her. Ayako nearly leaped from her spot when Takigawa place a hand on her shoulders.

"Don't scare me like that, you idiot! You almost gave me a heart attack! Can't you see I am reading?" she said as she flips another page of the notebook that took her attention.

Takigawa just smiled at her apologetically rubbing the back of his head. "So, what to we have there?" he asked. Ayako shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, but it looks like a journal, a doctor's diary to me. It contains dates, time, and what kind of experiments being done here." She said showing the notebook to Bou-san.

Takigawa place a hand on his chin. "So what does it says?" he inquired seeing he doesn't understand a single term.

"It seems that whoever stayed and use this place is doing something illegal" she said. "Here look at these facts… its all biological substances. And these things are chemicals that are very rare and could only be use by experts. A human experiment maybe or genetic ordering something that connects with humans. Look at those mummies, chlorine filled jars with bizarre looking animals." Ayako points at a rather large stacks of jars, mummies, and dead animal samples.

"Nasty… there's no other word to describe this stuff." He said as he eyed the experiments and the diary.

"Yeah" Ayako agreed and felt a shiver ran along her spine.

'Just how sick could these people be?' she asked herself. "I really have a bad feeling about this, maybe we should head back upstairs to the base and tell everyone what we found" Ayako said.

Takigawa nodded stuffing the diary inside his jacket and headed back to the iron door when all of a sudden a strong wind surrounds both him and Ayako. Ayako screamed as she was thrown to the wall caused by the strong wind, while bou-san tried fighting the wind.

Looking at the fallen Ayako. He cursed loudly. "Ayako! Wake up! Ayako! Damn it!" he said and another round of strong air tried to attack him. Not able to keep his balance he was also thrown to the stack of jars and mummies. Before he lost his consciousness, he heard a loud BANG as the iron-steel close, and then everything went dark.

ooooOoOoOoooo

"Where could Bou-san and Ayako be? They've been gone for hours already, you said you left them a note to wait for Asegawa-san, do you think they get lost at the lobby or something." Mai said placing a cup of tea in front of her young boss.

"Do I look like a lost and found aide? Go ask someone else, I don't care where those two are, for all I know, they might be in one of the rooms making out" Naru said in disgust.

Mai glared at him. "What if they are in trouble? What if something happened to them, aren't a bit worried?" Mai asked.

"If it was you, it would sure be trouble." Naru said drinking his tea.

Mai huffed. "Mou, you're so annoying Naru! I was just worried about those two,." Mai said.

"Mai, stop worrying" Naru said as he looked at the building map he turned to Lin.

"Lin, what's this black space on the ground floor?" Naru asked the tall Chinese man.

Lin went to Naru's table and looked at the darkened space. "I am not sure, a basement perhaps," he said. "The computer can't classify the space. That's why I left it blank until that area was searched." Lin said.

Naru narrowed his eyes. "Send Hara-san and John-san down to that area. Now, I have a feeling we will find something interesting in that area. Mai, contact them and ask them to cut their rotation on their area and go to the basement. Lin, connect your line to theirs and you direct them where to go" Naru instructed, both assistants began their ordered work.

'Takigawa and Matsuzaki-san you two sure are a pain in the butt, pray to gods that you two aren't dead by the time we get there or I'll have to summon your ghost and torture you souls for making my Mai worry.' Naru thought, then he jerked at the thought he had. 'Did I say "my" Mai? Damn! Bad thoughts" he said to himself with a frown eyeing Mai's obviously worried expression as she contact Masako and John.

ooooOoOoOoooo

Bou-san moaned as he starts to wake up from being slammed to the rack of jars. He smelled the chemicals spilled during the impact and groaned in pain as some glass pieces struck him all over his body.

"I bet in hell, I definitely look awful…," he said to no one, then Ayako's image flash through his mind.

"Damn it! Ayako!" he called, his eyes searching for the priestess. He groaned in pain as more glass pieces dig deeper in his flesh. "Ayako!" he called, he looked at one corner to find Ayako still unconscious.

Takigawa dragged his body up and towards Ayako's fallen figure. He kneeled in front of her and saw that she is unharmed. "Thank god you're safe." He murmured as his hand brushes few streaks of her hair that covered her face.

Ayako began to stir. Takigawa withdraw his hand. "Ayako" he called the priestess.

Ayako opened her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the place. "Takigawa… what happened?" she asked as she starts standing up wincing at the pain in her ankle.

"What's wrong?" Housho asked her trying to help her into standing trying his best to ignore his own pain.

"I'll be fine, I think I sprained my ankle a little" she replied as she tried opening the flashlight in her hand that miraculously shut off.

As soon as Ayako succeeded making the flashlight function, she immediately notices Takigawa's bleeding. "You're bleeding!" she said worriedly.

"It's nice to see that you care at times, but it's just scratches, it won't kill me, don't worry too much, you look pretty with a smile." Takigawa said with a teasing smirk.

Ayako huffed obviously annoyed and somewhat embarrassed. "Too bad" she retorted with a deep frown.

Takigawa laughed. "Let's get out of here… the iron door closed down but since it wasn't locked we'll be okay, we can push it open" he said making his way to the door, when he notice an open space at the bottom of the iron door.

He tried to remember if it was already open before or just now, the memory seems to be temporary short, he gave the door a struggling push but it didn't buckle.

'That's weird' he thought and tried harder, still it wouldn't budge. Ayako stepped beside him. 'What's wrong?" she asked.

"The door won't open," he said flatly. Ayako's eyes widen. "WHAT?!" she blurted out.

Houshou winced. "Don't scream. That won't help the situation. Maybe, I'm just too weak to open the door, won't you make yourself useful and help me give it a push," he said.

Ayako snorted. "Fine, weakling." she said.

The two of them pushed the door as hard as they could get but then the door still won't open.

"What's wrong with this door!?!" Ayako whined as she keeps on pushing with all her power.

Then Ayako gasped when a soft thud surprised her, she turns to Takigawa to find him slumped on the floor.

"Takigawa! Are you alright?" she asked kneeling before him.

Takigawa snorted. "Do I look like I am?" he said.

Ayako glared at him in the darkness. "You said you are!" she replied hotly.

He sighed, "The door must be stuck, just let me get some rest and I'll get that door open in no time" he murmured his eyes drooping.

Then on the corner of his eyes, he saw something move from the shadows. He immediately pushes Ayako away, when a two-headed snake attacked.

"TAKIGAWA!" Ayako screamed as she fell on the opposite side.

ooooOoOoOoooo

Mai felt a cold tingling feeling ran down her spine, she instantly stiffened. It didn't go unnoticed to Naru's watchful eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking up from his clipboard.

"Something terrible happened" she muttered her eyes wide from unknown fear. Naru shot Lin a knowing look, the Chinese man stood up at once and left the room.

Naru sighed. "Don't worry… they'll be fine, get some rest Mai." He said when Mai didn't move an inch he went near her and carried her to the couch.

Mai gasped when Naru dropped her to the couch. "What?!"

"I told you to rest not space out" he said sternly.

"But-" Mai protested.

Naru cut her off with his glare. "Now" he said. Mai nodded and lazily lay down the couch.

Naru eyed the brunette with obvious concern, then he caught himself from showing emotions. He put on his impassive façade once more and returns to his seat.

ooooOoOoOoooo

The two-headed snake bit Takigawa's hand fiercely. He groaned in hot searing pain as he tries to wiggle the animal from his hand. Ayako panicky grab a piece of wood from the fallen rack of jars. She mercilessly hit the snake, making it slam the wall with a loud thud.

Takigawa hissed from the pain grabbing his scared dagger and threw it to the two-headed snake with accuracy the animal vanished in thin air, as he fell on the floor.

"Takigawa!" Ayako called the man, she ran to his side.

"I'm fine," Takigawa said as he adjusts his position to lean on the wall in front of the iron door.

"You are NOT fine! A weird looking snake has bitten you! God knows what venom it has. Let me see the snake bite!" she ordered.

Takigawa smiled. "Ayako, don't worry…" he said.

Ayako ignored him seizing his arm and surveyed the wound. "This is bad, the poison spreads in an alarming phase!" she exclaimed looking extremely worried.

"I told you don't worry," he said trying to get Ayako loosen her grip on his arm.

To Takigawa's surprise, Ayako tore her skirt and tied it on his bicep, hard. He winced in pain. "What are you doing?" he asked pain written on his face.

"Bear with me. I have to at least lessen the poison till we get help." She said dipping her mouth to the wound sipping some blood and spitting it out. She repeated the process for several times.

Takigawa stared at Ayako, who's so engrossed in her 'so-called' treatment. He can't help the blush creeping on his face as he watches her. 'She looks hot with that intense face' he thought. He shook the thought away; they are in a grave situation right now his mind must at least be clear.

"Ayako…" he didn't notice that his voice had gone deeper almost husky and his breathe is shallower.

Ayako looked up and saw his flushed face. "I've remove most of the poison but it spreads faster than any poison I have ever encountered. We have to get help immediately. I can not have you dieing on me!" she said as she stood up and push the door with all her might.

Takigawa watched Ayako, his eyes softening as he feels his eyes dropping.

A loud slap made his eyes open wide and alert.

Ayako's booming voice completely awoke him if not the slap did. "DON'T YOU DARE!" she said. "STAY AWAKE!" she ordered.

Feeling the hot searing pain in his arms and other pain stinging in his body, he gave a light nod.

He watch emotion flicker in Ayako's face. Before he knew it, his hand already had reached her face and gently caressed her face.

"I'll be fine, don't panic, it won't help the situation. Relax and think." he said.

Ayako nodded. "Just don't dare to sleep or I'll slap you again," she said as she stood up phasing limply left and right mumbling incoherent words to herself.

Then she stop phasing, she filled her lungs with air.

Takigawa's eyes widen. He knew what she'd do, he place his hands on both his ears as Ayako screamed her heart out.

"SOMEBODY HELP US!!!" she screamed, Housho could feel the sound vibrate through the entire room.

Ayako breathes heavily from the loud screaming, face flushed. She frowned.

"That didn't work right?" she asked the ex-monk helplessly. Takigawa shook his head and smiled at her.

"What do we do?! You need immediate medical attention." She said plopping down beside him.

Takigawa remained silent, the only light they have is the forgotten flashlight in one side of the floor, that barely illuminates the whole room. He looked up at the ceiling trying to look for possible way out seeing none, he sighed.

'I have to make sure Ayako gets out of this place safe.' He thought with eyes closed he opened them turning to see Ayako's sleeping form. He smiled.

He pulled Ayako's head to lay on one of his leg. He smoothen her hair. "I'll keep you safe, I promise" he murmured.

He process the situation. 'When we reach the base, I found a note from Naru-bou telling them to investigate the basement. Hey! Not even Naru knew about tha basement before or he would have mentioned it earlier. Something isn't right here' he mused.

Taking out the sheet of paper where Naru's note is. He studied his penmanship. 'I am sure it is his… but how?' he thought. 'I think we missed something' he said eyeing the paper then it clicked!

"Naru never use blue ink!" he said out loud. Ayako stirred but didn't wake up. Takigawa sighed. 'Someone obviously tricked us into going down here' he thought.

When he looked down the ink stared to cleared up. Naru's neat writing 'in black' said that he and Ayako should wait for Asegawa Yotaru at the lobby.

Takigawa cursed. 'Naru-bou would be furious' he thought.

ooooOoOoOoooo

At the ground floor:

John and Masako had been roaming around the ground floor for an hour already. No sign of the door leading to the basement.

"This is getting suspiciously weird." Masako said.

John agreed. "It's like we're in a maze. The hallways and walls seems to be the same wherever we go." He said.

Masako roamed her head around the place. "But I cannot sense any spirit that could possibly do this" she said.

John sighed. "The communicator had gone static too… it can't capture any signal at all…" he said as he keeps on adjusting the communicator's frequency.

With Lin, (running along the hallway to the ground floor- the base is at the third floor):

"What's with this hallways… they seemed endless!" he muttered under his breathe. He stopped on his track when he saw a shadow at the end of the staircase. "You?" he asked.

With Mai and Naru at the base:

Mai's dream state, she's floating on a dark empty space. "Huh?! Where am I?" she asked.

"Mai, you must leave it's extremely dangerous there. Leave" Naru's soft voice said from the darkness.

"Naru? Where are you I can't see you" she said as she look around but still can't see him anywhere.

"Mai! Mai… Mai…" his voice is fading and only the silence of the space is there.

Mai tried not to panic. 'Naru, where are you?' her mind screamed.

A sudden bright light engulfed Mai. She found herself standing in a hospital room.

"Don't worry I'll find a way to cure you… just give daddy time…" a man said to a girl lying on the bed.

The girl didn't say a word; she just turns to the window watching the sunset.

Mai thinks that she looks familiar yet she knew that she's never met her.

A knock from the door broke Mai's musing as it opened a bit, a man entered with a smile and a bouquet of white roses in hand.

"Ayumi-chan" he said. Mai recognized the man. 'Asegawa-san' she thought, although this Asegawa is a lot younger than he is now the similarities are undeniable.

"Onii-chan" the girl on the bed said looking at him. The older man smiled at the new comer. "Yotaru" the older man said.

"Otou-san, it's good to see you out of your laboratory at this time. How's Ayumi's condition?" he asked the man. He sat next to her on the bed smoothing her long black mane. Then it clicked to Mai. 'I know why she looks familiar! They are siblings… a twin!' she thought watching the two.

The older man's smile falter a bit. "Don't worry, she's recovering. I've given her another medicine, this time I'm sure she'll recover faster" he said.

The girl on the bed mumbled something like 'liar' but Mai wasn't sure. Yotaru smiled. "That's good. Ayumi you better get ready, onii-chan is playing in championships, our soccer team won the regional tournament, we're playing for championship in nationals, I want my imouto to be there watching." He said.

The girl smiled at him and nodded.

The scene changed and Mai saw the girl, Ayumi convulsing painfully on her bed. The older man strapped her.

"Hold on baby… daddy will cure you" he said. The girl opened her eyes held her father's arms.

"Stop it daddy! It's not going to work, I'm dying daddy" she said agony evident in her face, Mai tried not to sob.

"NO! I won't let you die! NEVER!" he said injecting another vial on her. She moaned in pain but the convulsing ceased.

The scene changed again. The older man doing experiments on his dark laboratory and writing on his journal, day in and day out non-stop. Mai realized that the laboratory looks like an underground lab. 'This must be the basement' she thought.

Then another bright light engulfs Mai. When she opened her eyes, she's standing in front of Bou-san and Ayako.

"Bou-san!" she cried almost in tears. Takigawa opened his eyes to find Mai standing in front of him. He notice that Mai's a bit glowing. He smirked.

"Out-of-body- traveling" he murmured as he looked up at Mai, Mai look around the place. "You're hurt, snakebite" she said fearfully.

"Get help Mai… Ayako sprained her ankle." Takigawa said.

Mai nodded. "I will… Bou-san. DON'T DIE, I won't forgive you." She said. Bou-san nodded. "I understand."

Mai looked at the way Bou-san smoothen Ayako's hair unconsciously. She smiled.

"Bou-san, do you like Ayako?" she asked.

Takigawa raised an eyebrow. "No, in fact… I dislike her, she's bossy and nosy" he said.

Mai's smile widens "Have you heard of the saying: The ones we say we hate the most are the ones we end up falling for the hardest" she said and faded away leaving a wide eyed Takigawa Housho.

Back to Lin:

"You?" he said as he steps on the last stair. He eyed the woman seriously.

"Yes, it's me. By the time, you and your friends get there. They would be dead. No one lives after knowing our secret." She said with a freaky smile.

"You are living dead" Lin said.

"I know. But I cannot have your team telling my brother that I am" she said.

"What can a mere shell do? You're just continuing to live because of the illegal experiments your father had done to keep you alive." Lin said.

"My brother shouldn't know." She said sternly the place starts to look warped.

"And we leave you as you keep on killing innocent people as sacrifice for your artificial life." He said.

"If that is the only way for me to stay at my brother side, I'll kill countless people." She said.

"I cannot let you do that" Lin said.

"What can a mere mortal do to a near immortal like me?" she asked.

"You are no god." He said and whistled. White floating spirits attacked her she screamed in pain as her body was rag into pieces. "NO!" she screamed as she was reduce into ashes. The hallway turn back to normal.

"Immortality is a sin for those who don't deserve it" he murmured before running down the stairs to the basement.

In Mai and Naru at the base:

Mai sat up eyes alert. "Naru! We have to call an ambulance! Bou-san and Ayako were hurt! A weird snake bit Bou-san! Ayako sprained her ankle!" she said.

Naru smirked. "I've called the ambulance already." He said.

"You already did" she said. Naru smirk widens. "I didn't know that even in your dreams you're thinking of me. You practically cried my name" he said.

Mai blushed hard. "I –I d-didn't!" she stuttered.

Naru patted her head. "Don't worry, I have that kind of to women, they can't seem to get enough of me, even in their dreams" he said.

Mai glared at him. "NARU!" Mai yelled frustrated.

ooooOoOoOoooo

Bou-san felt numb all over. His throat dry, he's craving for water. 'Not a good sign' he thought and his breathing grew more labored. 'Not a good sign either' he added.

He looked at Ayako's sleeping form. "At least you're safe. I won't die in vain when an angel's face is in my view while I die. Not a bad way of dying. Mai must be right. I've fallen hard not even, I myself noticed. I can't believe a 17 years old girl have to point it out to me before I die. Ironic." He murmured under his breathe.

Ayako began to stir. She immediately sat up looking at Bou-san. "Takigawa!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Housho asked staring at Ayako's face, his voice sounded hallow even for him.

"I fell asleep! How are you feeling?!" she asked worriedly.

"Easy, I'm fine. Just numb and thirsty, from the way it is I won't last for a couple of more hours. The poison had spread." He said flatly.

"You make it sound like nothing!" she scolded him. "I have to get us out of here" she said and was about to stand up when Bou-san stopped her by gripping her hand.

"No, stay here." He said and laid his head on her lap, she gasped. "Takigawa!"

"Why won't you call me by my name…?" he whispered looking at her eyes from his position.

Ayako fights the blush that attempts to creep on her face. "Don't talk about something so stupid!" she said.

He smiled. "Mai would be mad at me. I promised I wouldn't die now… some promises ends up getting broken. At least I kept you safe." He said reaching out caressing her face from his angle.

"What the hell are you talking about!?! You're NOT dying! I WON'T LET YOU!" Ayako said tears threatening to fall.

Takigawa smirked he pulled the diary out of his jacket, a picture and a vial fell out of the book. He picked it up. He stared at the picture.

"It's Asegawa's family picture. This must be his father's book." He said his breathe shallow.

Ayako picked up the vial she read the content. Her eyes widen. "An Antidote!" she exclaimed.

"What…?" Takigawa asked looking at Ayako who's staring at the vial reading small scripts written on the small container.

"You must drink this! It's an antidote for all kinds of poison! It would do you good!" she said as she undid the cap of the vial.

Takigawa stared at her as if she'd gone insane. "NO way! I won't it might be expired already!" he reasoned out.

"Antidotes don't expire idiot! You're taking this whether you like it or not as she held the container to his mouth.

Takigawa tighten his lips together. Ayako seeing how stubborn Takigawa is being when he's on the brink of death. She drank half the content of the vial and closed the cap again. She bent down to Takigawa's level.

"What are you doing--- aya—" he was cut off by Ayako's lips as she use her own mouth to push the antidote down his throat. Takigawa sure did flush bright pink same with Ayako but neither cared at the moment both closed their eyes and savored their time together.

A tear slipped down Ayako's eyes and landed on Takigawa's face and slide down his cheek. He brought his hand up to wipe away the tear.

ooooOoOoOoooo

John and Masako miraculously found the door when they made a turn. They tried to break in when Lin arrived. The trio hiked down the darkened stairs. When they reached the last step, they saw the iron door.

"Takigawa-san! Matsuzaki-san! Are you in there?" John asked as he ram the iron steel door.

They heard a loud gasps and a loud thud from inside.

"They are in there!" John confirmed. Lin nodded he ask John to guided Masako a bit away from the door.

When in a good distance John return beside Lin, both of them pushed the iron gates open. Peeping inside they saw both Ayako and Housho sitting beside each other in a considerable space.

Lin noticed immediately their flushed feature. He forced himself not to smirk. 'Naru might be right about the making out thing' he thought evilly.

Lin then noticed the snakebites and the deep cuts on Takigawa's arm and whole body. "Will you be able to stand?" he asked Takigawa.

He nodded but fell backwards again. John and Masako assisted Ayako in walking on the stairs. Lin reach out his hand helping the ex-monk.

Takigawa smiled apologetically at the Chinese man. "Sorry… I didn't know poisons can weaken me this much" he said.

"If I were you I won't be sorry, in fact I'll be thankful that I am alive." He said with a hint of smile on his face.

Takigawa flushed pink.

'Yep, something DID happen inside the basement.' Lin confirmed his theory as he led them back to the base to find it empty, Lin sent both Ayako and Takigawa to the hospital.

Few Days After:

Ayako was discharge already. She's just visiting the still recovering ex-monk.

The hospital door opened revealing a smiling Mai, in comes the rest of SPR team, surprisingly with Naru and Lin.

"Hey! It's nice of you guys to visit me… how's the case?" he asked.

"If only you're just a bit careful, you and Matsuzaki-san should have been a bit useful" Naru said. Mai nudged him hard that earned her a piercing glare from the SPR boss.

"How are you feeling Bou-san? You had me worried." Mai said.

"I did? Then where are you and Naru-bou when we return from the basement?" Takigawa said making Mai blush bright pink and Naru to stiffen considerably obvious.

Lin refrained himself to smirk. He remembered the flush face of Mai and a slight smile on Naru's face when the two arrived after an hour of disappearance. Clearly, something 'very' amusing happened to both teens when they are gone.

"I went lunch" "I brought her out" both Mai and Naru answered. Everyone stared at them both teens flushed.

"So, you two went on a date. While, Housho and I were brought to the hospital some friends" Ayako said but her voice is full with teasing. Making Mai blush redder and Naru to glare at the self-proclaimed priestess.

"Housho?" John and Masako asked in unison, blushing at their act.

Ayako's mouth hanged. "E-er… I mean…" Ayako tried to escape her slip tongue.

"Undoubtedly, you and Takigawa-san are in the first name basis… something must have happened." Naru said with a smirk.

"Nothing!" both exclaimed surprising the group, Mai burst laughing, Masako giggled behind her kimono, John smiled knowingly, Lin gave a small smile and Naru in his infamous evil smirk.

"You two sure are defensive." Naru said.

"Hey, you're changing the subject, we're asking about where you and Mai went before we could get back" Bou-san said in defense.

"Can you hear yourself; tell me who's changing the subject. Mind you, I don't pay you to be nosy with 'my' business. Where I take Mai is none of your business Takigawa-san, but since you're dying to know, I'll tell you" Naru said still wearing his evil smirk.

Mai glared at Naru. "You won't!" Mai said.

Naru just gave her the look that says 'try-me'.

Mai sighed helplessly knowing Naru would.

"Since you two stressed her out by making her worry too much for your incompetence and it's my inconvenience that my assistant can't even make proper tea so I brought Mai to have lunch and since she doesn't want to take medicine, I generously taught her how to make a stubborn person take a medicine. Without 'too' much force. How about that explanation Takigawa-san? Satisfied… Matsuzaki-san?" Naru said still with an amused smile. Seeing the two adults blush red.

Mai stared at Naru. 'She's NOT that worried, they did dine out and she was lectured on how to do first aid but Naru NEVER taught her how to make a prospect patient drink the medicine without much fight. However, if you consider Naru's Soul kiss a medical term then in deed he taught her something.' Nevertheless, she didn't dare say a word or her face would have steamed.

Ayako and Takigawa's blushing confirmed the unspoken bond created from their physically trapped body or their bottled up feelings for each, no one will know until one have the courage to admit it.

The only thing certain is that… the bond formed between the two won't wane anytime sooner instead it grows stronger each day.

-End-

AN:

That was LONG! LOL! Takigawa x Ayako, some Naru x Mai. LOL. Please review !