A/N: Okay, this chapter contains a little Loki/Mayu fluff b/c I just couldn't resist and it just sounded so kawaii when I wrote it. So little fan girls will be happy. Also, some of you asked me about a possible Mayu/Naru relationship, and all I'm saying is that Loki does tease them a lot so who knows? Wink But we'll see what kind of reactions I can get out of Loki and my readers.
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Chapter 10: Is The Circus In Town?
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The next few weeks had gone rather slow for Mayura. She had to take an elective at school in place of P.E. because of her leg and the only open class had been painting. As we all know, Mayura isn't really the artsy type…and the teacher unfortunately had to learn that the hard way. So after several little accidents with the paints—tripping and pushing the teacher face first into a wet canvas—and the teacher's wails as to why Kami had given her such a student, Mayura finally got the techniques down pat.
Of course, once her doodles took shape the teacher could only sweatdrop at the 'fushigi mysteries' she had painted. "Enough with the mysteries Daidoji! PLEASE paint something else!"
Mayura was sad to say goodbye to her mysterious paintings with the ghosts and the ghouls, she took up painting a cottage amongst a field of flowers—which surprisingly enough was turning out rather well. Amazing what she could do when she actually sat still long enough. Now keep in mind that Mayura had also convinced herself that this cottage possessed a fushigi mystery.
Other than class, she spent a good part of the afternoon asleep on the sofa when she visited the Enjaku Detective Agency, due to the medication her doctor had prescribed for her. Only two more weeks and hopefully the cast and the crutches could take a hike. It was bad enough that her fushigi mysteries had taken a back seat; however, on the bright side, she had become very observant over the past two weeks—especially in regard to Loki.
She noticed how his eyes changed color when he became angry and how the subject matter would change once they realized that she had entered a room or awakened from one of her frequent naps. She decided it best to smile at times like these, but her thoughts always betrayed her heart. Loki never talked about himself to her, but she never could bring herself to ask him either. She often wondered if their relationship was one sided. Maybe she was nothing more than a bother to him?
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She slowly opened her eyes finding herself on the living room couch, a pillow behind her head and a blanket covering her body. On her stomach was Ecchan, who had become her naptime buddy over the last two weeks.
"Punyan…" purred Ecchan as Mayura rubbed the little mystery's head.
"Ne, Ecchan, are you awake?" she whispered.
"Hai, Mayura-chan," replied Ecchan opening both eyes, "did you have a good nap?"
She nodded, before covering her mouth with her hand to catch her yawn. Ecchan floated off of her stomach as she sat up, slowly removing the blanket and turning, she took her crutches and hoisted herself up and off of the couch.
Assistance from others had lasted about 4 days at the most before dependency had gotten on her nerves. It had all started with Loki and his kawaii antics and it had ended with Freyr running down Main Street with her in his arms before smacking into a telephone pole from his glee.
Freya had only appeared once more, apparently, while she had been asleep, but she could vaguely remember hearing voices,
"Ack! Freya, wait!"
"Yamino-kun, get the pillow away from her!"
"Freya-san, please don't smother Mayura-san!"
"Freya-chan, don't disturb Freyr's Yamato Nadeshiko!"
Although…it could have just been the drugs talking…who knows?
And then there had been the time when she thought she had heard,
"My lovely Yamato Nadeshiko…"
THUMP
"What were you planning on doing, standing over Mayura like that?"
"…OW…Loki? What has Freyr done to deserve being hit in the head?"
THUMP
Yup…good drugs in deed, nap time at Loki's sure was interesting.
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Mayura slowly walked out of the living room on her crutches and stopped at the foot of the stairs. She could hear voices from Loki's study at the top of the stairs.
"Punyan?" asked Ecchan floating next to her.
She put her index finger to her lips, "Shhh…" she whispered.
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"Loki-sama, Mayura-san came around three, she's currently asleep on the living room sofa so you won't have to worry. She didn't put up a fight about seeing you, which I found rather strange."
"I hope that she will be back to her normal self in a few more weeks. When she's here she hardly speaks, and have you seen the way she's been acting around me?"
"Hai, Loki-sama I have. Mayura-san's attitude toward you has changed a lot, but I'm sure that it's because of the medication and that she's trying to do too much without anyone's help."
"I suppose you may be right Yamino-kun…"
"Loki-sama?"
"But I can't help but wonder if Mayura's slowly figuring it out…and distancing herself from me because of it."
"Oh…and if she has? Would it be easier that way?"
"I suppose it would…"
Mayura heard his voice trail off and the door start to open. She and Ecchan quickly hid under the stairwell. Ecchan rubbed up against her cheek playfully, enjoying this game, as Mayura sweatdropped. What was she afraid of? Hiding under the stairs of all things…but what had he meant by 'figuring it out?'
She heard the stairs creek as one followed by another set of feet descended. Her mind was a blur trying to find the meaning in his words; she peeked her head out seeing her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the figure behind her, hearing Loki and Yamino's voices broke her thoughts. When she looked again only her reflection was visible as she leaned up against the stairwell and quietly waited. She heard their footsteps heading down the hall and took that as her cue to head out, and down the hallway in the opposite direction. Ecchan floated along side of her, "Punyan, Mayura-chan."
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Loki stopped in the doorway to the living room and blinked finding no trace of the pink haired mortal. Yamino blinked as well, "Mayura-san was here," he commented watching his father head down the hallway.
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Loki walked past the doorway to the den and then stopped before backing up to find Mayura sitting on the love seat with Ecchan hovering over her shoulder, a canvas in front of her.
It had been the only logical thing that she could think of in order to cover up for the fact that she had been eavesdropping and then hidden herself. Loki slowly walked into the room and stood next to her, she looked like she was a million miles away even though she was right there beside him.
"Eh, Mayura?" he began looking over to see her work, "your painting is really good," he commented truthfully, feeling that it was actually quite good, who knew she had it in her.
"Arigato," she replied, dipping her brush into the paint and creating a shadow over the cottage.
He quietly sat down next to her, "Uh…Mayura…"
"Hmmm?" she was too lost in her thoughts and feelings to look up from her work.
"…Is something wrong?" he watched her, hoping for some response.
"…No…" she lied, her brush ceasing to move as her hair covered her face from his view; inside her heart was breaking over her current confusion. Why was it that she could never tell him what she thought? Because he had become so angry with her the last time and then he had disappeared without saying a word. She didn't want to lose him again, so she'd have to stay silent.
"…Oh…" Loki looked away, why did it bother him so much anyways? He had told himself countless times that she was just a mortal, so why bother? He shouldn't care so much…but seeing her so listless and this time not fully understanding the cause…it was something that he couldn't get past.
Mayura noticed Loki's frustration and dipped her brush in the paint; despite her confusion she never wanted to hurt him because deep down she…
The distance between them had grown so much, that she just wanted to reach out to him, and the silence was just like drowning. She closed her eyes, her head down, as a smile appeared on her face…
Loki blinked, having been caught off guard, as he looked to find paint on his nose. He looked over to Mayura who was smiling playfully, "Loki-kun looked like he was lost in thought," she stated with a wink and waved her paintbrush in her hand.
"…Mayura…" he replied, obviously confused by her antics, as he rubbed his nose.
"Hai, Loki-kun?" she asked, poking his nose again, with the tip of her paintbrush, her eyes mirroring her laughter.
"That's it!" announced the chibi sized trickster god, as a smirk appeared on his face before grabbing the spare brush on the easel.
"Oh please, Loki-kun," she begged cutely, putting her hands together and smiling cutely, "you wouldn't really do that to me would you?"
His emerald eyes watched her; this was Mayura, the side of her that he had missed. There he lowered his 'weapon' sitting next to her with black paint smudged onto his nose, "…I guess not…" content enough with the fact that she had finally reached out to him.
Her smile widened, "Good!" she exclaimed, quickly painting him a nice moustache.
Loki's mouth nearly dropped open in shock, she had played the trickster god for a fool, well this couldn't be tolerated, "This means war!"
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Ecchan had been wise and had floated to safety, while Yamino and Fenrir heard cries for help, the occasional, "No you wouldn't!" and "Oh yes I would!" and the laughter and squeals of two individuals—who did not need to be named—coming from the den. About ten minutes of this and a pair of ear plugs later…
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"I give!" cried Mayura in between giggles, grabbing Loki's hands in hers, "Please? Please?" she pleaded sitting sideways on the couch, sitting on her right leg, her lower left leg gently resting on the cushion.
His smirk widened, "Alright…" he surrendered, looking at the rainbow colored stripes and circles, as well as, the oddly colored symbols on her face, arms, and shirt.
She slowly began to catch her breath, hiccupping from laughing so hard, as she looked at the stars and misshapen hearts among other things on his face, and the stream of colors on his shirt. They were a few marshmallow shapes short of a box of Lucky Charms, that they were.
He smirked in amusement at her hiccupping, which of course did not go unnoticed by Mayura who puffed out her cheeks, "Oh? You th-think this is fu-funny?" she asked leaning forward.
"Hai," replied Loki, in a matter of fact tone of voice, "I d-do," he mimicked her.
She grabbed him in her arms and began to tickle him relentlessly—drowning out the Ack! Ma-Mayura st-stop!—"What's that Loki-kun? I can't hear you," she commented, watching him flail madly in her arms.
"St-stop!"
Her hiccups had subsided and she had had her fun for today with the chibi matantei, so she gave into his demands. Loki let out of sigh of relief, catching his breath and trying to regain his composure, how degrading being over powered by a teenage mortal girl of all things.
No sooner had he caught his breath, did he blink in realization, as he felt her arms wrap around him; she pulled him into her embrace, both of her hands wrapped around his shoulder, still sitting next to him.
She rested her head on top of his and closed her eyes, "Gomen, for worrying you."
"…Ne…Mayura…" he replied, surprised by her actions, "I understand…"
"Loki-kun, is a very important person to me," she admitted.
He found himself smiling, as he reached his hand up and held her arm, closing his eyes he replied, "…I feel that same about you Mayu…"
She held him a little more tightly at her nickname; she really did love him…
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Fenrir trotted past the open door and blinked; was the circus in town or something because there were two clowns in the den.
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Chapter 11 Is Almost Done and then I've got Chapter 12-15 ideas swimming around in my head. Yes, yes this is going be a long fic, so sorry to disappoint…hehe…