Disclaimer: All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.
"Mai…"
Upon hearing the soft, distant utterance, Mai crinkled her brow. Her mind was far from consciousness at the moment and she couldn't quite figure out what it meant.
"Mai…"
There it was again. Only, this time, it was accompanied by a soft caress along her cheek. Her features eased at the feel. It was as if someone was drawing her to the surface of an endless body of water. Her limbs felt heavy as she drifted upward.
"It's time to wake up…"
Time to wake up? What did that mean. Time… to wake up. It clicked in her mind. She was asleep. But why was it time to wake up?
"Don't you want to go to England?"
England...? England! She slowly blinked open her eyes to find a smiling Lin sitting beside her on his bed. He was already dressed for the day.
"Did you sleep well?" he gently asked.
Mai quietly stared at him for a moment. Did she?
"I had a dream," she murmured.
Lin's expression became serious.
"Was it unpleasant?" he questioned.
She shook her head.
"Not exactly," she responded. "I was in the ocean. It was a little frightening, but somehow I felt safe. I can't describe it. I wasn't drowning or anything."
"Just a normal dream, then?" he wondered.
Mai shrugged. "Maybe."
"Well, anyway, go take a quick shower," he told her. "I'll make you breakfast. Do you want coffee or tea?"
"Hm…" she hummed in contemplation. "Probably coffee."
Lin nodded and leaned down, placing a soft peck on her lips, then stood up and headed towards the door. After a moment, he looked back over his shoulder.
"Don't go back to sleep," he said sternly.
Mai sighed, roughly grabbing the blanket and throwing it off.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting up," she grumbled.
She knew he definitely wouldn't put up with her dozing on a day they had a schedule to keep. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him pointedly. He nodded, then turned back to leave the room. She watched him as he left, openingly admiring his body. Once they were married, it would be all hers.
She lightly sighed. Once they were married… That still had to be decided by his family. No matter how much she believed in their connection, their marriage still depended on someone else to confirm their right to be with each other.
On the other hand, Lin consistently spoke as if it was already decided. He had a strong conviction on this matter and she at least had confidence in him, so if he said it was definite then she believed it.
Yes, it was definite they would be married, and once they were, their relationship would involve a whole new level of intimacy.
~oOo~
Though Mai enjoyed letting the warm water run over her tired body, she did as Lin told her and took a quick shower, albeit reluctantly. Afterwards, she dressed and went out to the living room.
The table was already set and as she sat down, Lin brought out two mugs from the kitchen.
"Thank you!" Mai said happily as he set one down on the table by her plate.
It was a simple breakfast, but she was still glad that he was so invested in taking care of her. Although, half of that was because he was currently regulating her diet. Something about cleansing in preparation for special ceremonies. He was somewhat vague about it when he told her. Either way, she liked being looked after.
"When's Naru coming over?" she wondered as she ate breakfast.
"He's not," Lin answered without explaining further.
Mai frowned and looked up at him.
"Is he going to meet us at the airport?"
Lin shook his head.
"He decided to delay his departure for another week," he informed her.
Mai tilted her head.
"But…" she began hesitantly, "I thought he really wanted to go to England."
Naru had been the one who insisted on being included in their wedding ceremony. It had surprised both her and Lin. He had said something about having to see things through to the end, as if he was responsible for all of this. When she thought about, perhaps he was.
"He didn't give me an explanation," Lin admitted. "But he assured me he'd be present for our marriage."
Mai shrugged.
"It's his own fault if he misses it," she responded indifferently.
Lin didn't reply and quietly continued eating. Mai had a feeling he was purposely not answering her.
"You really want him to be there, don't you?" she guessed.
"I never said that," he replied curtly.
Mai was slightly taken aback by his response. She didn't like his tone at all.
"Don't get so defensive!" she admonished. "I only thought you seemed a little disappointed."
Lin sighed and set his fork down.
"I know," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry. It just took a lot of convincing to get permission for him to attend. I would like him to be there, but it won't stop me from marrying you if he isn't."
"So then, you're a little annoyed at him?" she asked.
Lin gave her a wry smile. "You don't have to seem so pleased about it."
Mai smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"I just thought it would be nice for once if you didn't think he was infallible," she admitted. "Sometimes, I think you might want to marry him instead."
Lin looked directly into her eyes, his expression serious.
"Mai," he said firmly, "there is no one in this world or the next that I want other than you. No one will ever surpass you in my eyes. I guarantee it."
"Koujo," she whispered, "I…"
The subsequent words failed to come out. What could she say in response to that other than she felt the same way?
"Koujo, I…" There was so much she wanted to say to him. "I love you so much."
He smiled at her, admiring the way she got endearingly tongued-tied.
"I'm glad," he said sincerely. "Because I'll love you eternally."
Mai sighed.
"You don't play fair," she pouted.
Lin smiled smugly.
"Why would I ever play fair when I've finally won you over?" he replied.
Mai shook her head.
"You get more and more like him every day," she commented.
Lin quickly sobered.
"Do you have to be so mean?" he asked seriously.
"Is that mean?" Mai wondered.
"You know I don't like being compared to Jun," he answered.
"Koujo, that's silly," she responded. "Why won't you just accept that you're him and he's you? It doesn't mean I love him more than you. I could never love anyone more than you."
"Because if that's true, then..." he abruptly stopped talking and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We should leave soon."
Mai quietly looked down at her plate.
"...okay," she mumbled.
Lin couldn't stand the hurt look on her face. He really hated how combative he could be sometimes. He wished he could outgrow that side of himself, but he came from a family of headstrong individuals and that nature was just ingrained in him. That was no excuse, though.
"Mai…" he murmured. "I'm sorry."
She slowly looked up and stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.
"No, I'm the one who should apologize," she insisted. "I'm sorry. I know we both have hang ups about our past lives. It's just that… I can't stop loving every part of you. A part of Jun's soul is inside of you. It makes up who you are, but it's not all of you… I know that and I don't long for who Jun was, but when I see him inside of you, I can't help loving that part of him as well…"
She shook her head in frustration at her babbling. She just didn't know how to explain it. It was all so confusing. Of course they were different people now, shaped by different experiences, but the overall essence was the same. She at least wanted him to acknowledge that.
"I understand," Lin reassured her. "And I think I probably hurt you by saying I didn't care about finding Rei when she's a part of you. That was foolish of me, but I can't explain it away. Just know that I love every part of you as well."
Mai felt like she was on the verge of crying. It wasn't because she was sad, though. Far from it. She was beyond happy that she had found the one and that it was Lin. He made her feel so loved and valued. She cherished him completely.
"Thank you for loving me, Koujo," she whispered. "I feel so lucky to have found you."
Lin shook his head.
"You deserve only the deepest love and I'm going to strive every single day to give that to you."