A/N: Playful SPR is my favorite, and playful Naru is everything, guys. Can you guess who Naru is giving a piece of his mind to?
Reviews are love. Next chapter will see a little ghost action. This chapter ended up full of nearly naked guys somehow.
Sorry-Not-Sorry.
Not My Sandbox (Just my pool scene).
Where The Light Enters
"Floating, Falling, Flying"
'Naru was pissed at someone' Mai thought sleepily as she slowly shifted to wakefulness. Harsh whispering could be heard from the other side of her bathroom door, but she couldn't tell what was being said.
Wait.
That wasn't her bathroom door.
Her jaw dropped in shock.
He'd done it again.
He'd done it again.
This...was...not...her...room.
She lay back down, closing her eyes in consternation.
First, he starts hauling her around like equipment. Now he's rearranging her in the middle of the night like furniture...
That's it.
She's telling Ayako.
Okay...but does she want him dead dead?
And who was he talking to in the bathroom that was clearly not hers?
He wasn't exactly the kind of guy who needed a pep talk...
She burst into giggles at her own nervous inanity. She quickly pulled a pillow over her own face to stifle the sound, but something must have escaped, because she heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.
"Isn't it a little early to be smothering yourself?" He asked idly.
"Didhieeaslpwatinfroonhofrosanda?"
Did I really sleepwalk in front of Reo Sanda?
She had decided discretion was the better part of valor. Naru probably wouldn't explain himself anyway. If you looked in the dictionary, right under the 'arbitrary', you'd find his picture.
So she moved onto the next exceptionally embarrassing experience on her list.
He pulled the pillow away from her face slightly, looked down at her coolly.
"Yes."
She pulled the pillow back into its place, screaming a little more. "Irlllrllyhaayututnoh!"
"How is this my fault?" He said, pulling the pillow away from her completely.
She should probably be impressed that he could understand her pillow talk, but she decided she wasn't in the mood to be impressed.
She glared at him. "I haven't really decided. But I'm pretty sure if we go downstairs and take a vote right now, the Team will be on my side."
She stuck out her tongue for good measure.
Equipment had no dignity anyway.
He looked at her for a moment, considering. "Well, that is almost certainly true."
She stuck her tongue out at him again as he walked out the door.
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She emerged from the water, taking a gulp of air.
Damn.
It seemed like she was a lot slower than she used to be.
"You're getting old!" Yasu tainted from the pool's edge, and Masako laughed from her place by his side.
Mai replied soundlessly, her one finger salute making her feelings perfectly clear.
There was little to no activity to investigate in the mansion during the day. Even Reo's file showed that there had never been a single incidence of activity during daylight hours.
So the SPR Team was in the pool, well, except for Naru.
Ayako and Bou-San floated near the ledge at the deeper end, close enough to each other that Mai had firmly turned around and intended to remain that way.
Adults needed privacy too sometimes.
Even Lin was at the far end, gliding through the water methodically on what was probably his 800th lap. He was steadfastly ignoring their mischief, and except for the one time the beach ball had accidentally hit his head, they were managing rather well not to include him in their collateral damage.
John emerged beside her, blond locks plastered to his face.
"It feels great to work off some of this energy." He said with a grin. "I hate to admit it, but this house makes me feel a bit antsy."
Mai nodded in understanding. If everyone else felt the same way she and John did, it was no wonder they were so rowdy.
A sudden movement at the far end of the pool caught her attention, and if she hadn't been in water shallow enough to stand in, she probably would have drowned.
Naru was standing there, a dark pair of swimming trunks snug and dangerously low across his hips.
If that was how all English guys looked at the pool, obviously she needed to take a trip.
John, Bou-San and Yasu all looked good, of course. She'd seen Bou-San and Yasu in a pool before though.
And even wearing a t-shirt with his shorts, she could tell the increased physical labor had done John some good.
Okay, a lot of good.
She was probably going to Hell.
Even Lin was kind of hot in a scary "I might curse you" kind of way.
She, Masako and Ayako were lucky, lucky girls sometimes.
Not that they'd admit it out loud.
But damn.
Naru.
Pretty much naked.
She loved this case.
"I owe you this!" A voice whispered in her ear, and her eyes widened as she sought to escape, but she was too late.
Yasu had taken advantage of her complete and total distraction-
(Naru was in the water now, and swimming was officially her favorite sport)
To grab her from behind...
Caught!
She squealed as he lifted her up, tossing her easily into the deeper end. Her yell caught the others attention as she came up sputtering.
Yasu held up his hands harmlessly, laughing. "At least you're in a bathing suit!" He defended himself.
She grinned ferally, nodding at Masako who had swam silently up behind the unsuspecting boy.
Masako sank below the water like a siren, and a moment later, Yasu's eyes got very, very wide before he pitched to one side.
Masako emerged, grinning in triumph, hand clenched in the air...
Along with Yasu's swim trunks.
Hoots of laughter echoed across the room from Ayako and Bou-San. Even John chuckled as Yasu came up sputtering and blushing.
"Traitor!" He hollered at Masako, who dodged, laughing.
"All's fair in love and war, Yasu!" Ayako hollered.
"Never make a lady angry." Bou-San laughed.
"Mai, catch!" Masako yelled, tossing the wet trunks to Mai.
Even Lin and Naru had stopped to watch the play now.
Mai shrieked as Yasu's trunks came hurtling at her. She jumped, catching the wet cloth.
Yasu whirled towards her. "Mai..." He said warningly.
Mai grinned, careful to keep her eyes above the waterline.
Best friend or not, she was glad Masako was the one who went after the shorts.
But now that she had them...
She grinned, twisting like a flash and diving down and away.
Towards the deep end.
She might be slower than she used to be, but she was still faster than Yasu.
Slicing cleanly through the water, she dropped the trunks in the deep end where they slowly drifted to the bottom.
She emerged to even louder hoots of laughter.
Even Naru was smiling from where he and Lin had stopped swimming to watch.
Languidly she swam back towards shallower water.
Yasu was looking at her in a way that made her suddenly a little nervous.
"Oh, you're going to regret that. If you want to see me in my full glory, so be it!" He yelled, lunging for her.
She shrieked again, propelling herself backwards, out of his reach.
"Bou-San! Help me!" She yelled, laughing to hard to swim properly.
"Yeah, Bou-San! The more the merrier!" Yasu yelled, a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Uh, sorry Mai. No can do!" Bou-San said, paling.
"Coward!" She hollered.
Yasu lunged again and she slipped this time, her head nearly going under water as she lost her footing.
She was saved by a warm arm sneaking around her midriff, pulling her back to a safer distance.
Laughing, she glanced back, expecting to see Bou-San after all.
To her shock, it was Naru.
His arm was flush against her stomach, palm splayed against her bare side.
Oh, my....
She swallowed, eyes widening.
Her heart was suddenly beating triple-time.
He stepped back again, pulling her with him. It was too deep for her to touch with her head above the water now, but he stood easily. His arm held her secure, back snug against his bare chest.
Close your mouth before you drown, Mai.
He angled to face Yasu squarely, looking over her head at the other man. There was nothing she could do but float along, her hands gripping his forearm.
His breath ghosted across the back of her neck, raising goosebumps on her shoulders.
Holy shit....
She forced herself not to squirm in his grasp. She felt ridiculously tiny, pulled along in his gravity.
Yasu stopped, pulling up short.
Appraising the situation.
Was she about to get caught between a naked Yasu and a nearly naked Naru in Reo Sanda's pool?
The thought was ludicrous enough to make her laugh, snapping her out of her hormone induced daze.
"Whose side are you on?" Yasu said suspiciously.
Naru didn't smile, per se.
It was something a little...darker..
She shivered, though the water was warm.
She might've liked that expression on his face a little too much.
"The side that desperately wants you to keep your...glory to yourself." Naru announced, pulling her closer yet.
It should have bothered her, really.
Yeah...it didn't.
"Ladies...I have a hostage!" Naru called.
Everyone, including Mai, gaped at him.
Then- "I'm not so sure she wants to be rescued!" It was Ayako who called, and this time, the others laughed while she blushed.
"Masako!" She cried, laughing helplessly. If Naru hadn't been holding her up, she probably really would have drowned by now.
No, dammit.
She was an independent woman.
She began to twist in his grasp.
She didn't...need...any...rescuing...
He held her easily though. It was too deep for her to have any real purchase.
He used his free hand to minutely shift their position whenever Yasu shifted his, effortlessly matching the other boy.
Tucked against him, she was safe from Yasu.
And very much at Naru's mercy.
It was useless. She couldn't wiggle loose.
She could feel what she swore was Naru chuckling, his chest brushing against her back with each exhale. His face never changed however.
It was the same face he'd made when he'd won the round of poker two nights ago, she remembered.
"Help!" She cried piteously, forswearing womanly independence.
Damn Naru and his attractive masculinity...
It wasn't fair!
This was obviously Stockholm Syndrome.
"This won't do." A new voice said, and everyone looked to the side of the pool.
Mai was suddenly certain that no matter how she died, she was passing straight on.
No unfinished business here.
She was held, slick skin against skin by her nearly naked boss while staring at Reo-freaking-Sanda in swim trunks.
This was her life...
Best. Job. Ever.
Reo dived cleanly, emerging a moment later to toss Yasu (who was, again, beet red) his shorts.
The girls simultaneously threw up their arms in cheers, conveniently forgetting that they had, in fact engineered the situation they had just been rescued from.
Reo grinned, paddling over to them easily.
Yasu quickly dressed himself, shooting Mai and Masako dark looks.
"Sorry, Mai. I think Yasu's the princess who just got rescued by the movie star." It was Lin who said it, and just the sound of him saying so many words at the same time had everyone freezing.
Then they were all laughing hysterically, even Yasu.
All except for Naru, who stared at Reo thoughtfully. He wasn't frowning, but he shifted a little, bringing her up under his chin. Tucked against him, she couldn't see his face anymore.
"A gentleman indeed." Naru acknowledged after a moment, tilting his head a little. She felt the motion, more than saw it. For just a split second, his fingertips pressed into her skin a little harder, hot points of electricity running throughout her body from those five points.
Then he released Mai, angling his arm so that she floated gently towards the shallower water.
She felt a little bereft with the sudden loss of his heat.
"I saw you and Lin-San swimming laps earlier. Mind if I join you?" Reo asked with another easy smile.
"It's your pool." Naru said, turning to swim back to the marked lanes on the pools far side.
Mai swam over to Masako, who grabbed her hand, yanking her the rest of the way over with a Herculean strength that belied her tiny frame.
"What. !" She whisper-squealed. "I swear, my Grandmother had a dog who would steal shoes and then make you fight with him to get them back. When Naru grabbed you, he had the exact same look on his face." She giggled. "I was expecting him to yell 'mine', really loudly."
Mai shrugged dazedly.
She had kind of felt that way too, actually.
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Twenty minutes or so later, they had worn themselves out. Mai swam over to the edge, bracing to boost herself out, when a hand was suddenly in front of her.
She looked up to see Reo's handsome face and swallowed.
Oh, boy.
Oh boys...
So many boys...
She gave him her hand and he pulled her up easily.
Handing her one of the plush towels provided in the pool house, he said "Taniyama-San, Hara-San, I wondered if I might have a moment of your time before you go upstairs."
The two girls glanced at each other in confusion, shrugging.
"Of Course, Sanda-San." Masako answered.
"Reo, please." He replied.
"Of course." She paused. "Reo."
Over Reo's shoulder she could see something in Yasu's face darken.
"Let's go over here?" She suggested, wrapping the towel around herself hurriedly. She had nothing to be ashamed of, body-wise, but she wasn't much to look at compared to Masako or Ayako. In the water it hadn't seemed to matter, but standing there now, she was a little self-conscious.
The other two nodded, walking back towards the row of private changing rooms.
"I'm sorry we were so rowdy." Mai said, a little embarrassed about their antics after the fact.
Reo just shook his head, smiling. "It's nice. This place has been too quiet for too long. It was always lively when my mother was around."
His comment made her think of last night, and what was surely one of her strangest astral experiences. Gene had let her know that she was actually walking, but held in the Dream's sway, it had seemed inconsequential. Now, when she thought about it however, it unnerved her.
She toyed with the amulet around her neck. Someone, she assumed Naru, had replaced it sometime during the night.
She saw Reo glance quickly at the hand at her neck before looking away.
"How can we help you, S- Reo?" Masako asked finally.
"I wanted to let the two of you know that no matter what happens, I intend to pay SPR's fees in full. Even if the team is unable to discover anything else. The two of you, however, have...well. I'm not sure how to say it." He ran his hand through his hair awkwardly, and somehow even that action was charming.
"I've seen a lot of so-called psychics. And neither one of them hold a candle to the two of you. And it seemed like..." he paused. "I didn't realize how much of a physical toll using your abilities could have."
The girls just looked at him, unsure of where he was going with the conversation.
Mai could see the others watching curiously.
"Reo?" She asked.
"I'm writing each of you a bonus check for _." He said suddenly.
The girls gaped at him.
"You can't-" Mai started.
"We can't..." Masako interjected.
They stopped, looking at each other in consternation.
Something on their faces must have alarmed Yasu, because he was walking over quickly.
Reo held up a hand. "I'm not trying to get you in trouble with Shibuya or anything. But after the money I've wasted on fakes, it just doesn't seem right. Not after the two of you got more results in one night than the rest did in my whole life."
"Thank you." Mai said, looking at Yasu, and Naru, who had followed, his gaze trained on her like a hawk. "We understand what you're trying to do. But it really isn't necessary. SPR is a very generous employer."
The guys had reached them. Yasu wrapped a possessive arm around Masako that clearly startled the girl, nearly knocking her over.
"We should all get some rest before tonight." Naru said, his voice even. She could feel the heat radiating off his body as he stood next to her.
He was in nothing more than trunks and a towel, yet he somehow gave off an aura as collected as when he was fully dressed.
"Sounds good." Mai agreed readily.
Naru was going to have them do walk through in pairs that night, to see if they could get Miyazawa to respond to any of them again. If that didn't work, Lin would try a seance of his own.
She turned away, towards the door without thinking.
A quietly inhaled gasp from Reo made her remember her scar. She forgot about it most of the time, but neither the towel or her suit would be covering much of it right now.
In full view, it was ugly, and that was being polite.
It twisted down her back, like some childhood monster had trailed a claw downward.
Both Yasu and Naru stilled.
Yasu's eyes darkened.
He'd never forgiven himself for being the reason she was on the train that night.
Naru simply put a hand across her back, effectively blocking the other man's view.
"I'm sorry." Reo actually bowed in contrition. "That was horribly rude. I just didn't see it earlier, and I was surprised."
"It's okay." She smiled, trying to ease the tension.
It looked so much worse than it had been, and had healed without any lingering after effects.
She had been incredibly lucky that it was ugly, and nothing more.
"Accidents happen." She added with a shrug.
"Let's go." Yasu said, his voice still tense.
Reo bowed again and the four walked towards the door, joining John and the others.
As they walked, Mai glanced uneasily at Yasu.
She wished she could make him understand that she had never blamed him for the accident.
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Yasu was drunk again.
And he was heavy.
Ignoring the catcalls of the other guys as she hefted Yasu's arm over her shoulder, she nearly stumbled until she caught her balance.
Leading him carefully outside, she hoped the cool air would start to sober the boy up.
"Hey, Mai..." He said conversationally.
"Hey, Yasu..." She replied, sad that her clever friend had been reduced to this.
"Why are girls all cheaters and liars?" He said stumbling.
She grimaced.
Damn Michiru.
"What, I'm not a girl?" She teased, trying to distract him. Thankfully, the station wasn't too far away.
"You're... Mai Taniyama..." He stated unsteadily. "You're my best friend. My only best friend." He added empathically.
Despite herself, she smiled. "Well, You're my best friend too, you know."
But geez, you're heavy....
Mai opened her eyes slowly.
Masako was still sleeping peacefully in the bed next to her. Through the open door, she could see a pair of legs in dark pants seated at the chair in the next room...
She blinked. Her head ached.
What happened?
"Yasu?" She said, closing her eyes again.
"Shhh." It was Ayako's voice, which didn't make any sense.
Ayako hadn't been on the train with them.
"Don't turn over sweetie. You need to stay on your stomach right now...
Everything hurt...
The room was darker this time. The legs hadn't moved. This time she recognized Naru's pants. Had he been sitting there the whole time, watching over them?
Was he worried she was going to sleepwalk again?
When did he sleep?
"Hey." She murmured softly to the boy sitting next to her bed. His leg was immobilized by his wheelchair. A dark bruise decorated his jaw.
"I'm sorry." He whispered brokenly, starting to cry.
He hadn't cried until now, she realized. He'd ranted, and cussed and drank.
But this was the first time she had seen him cry.
"Hey!" She said, softly, reaching for him before the burn on her back caused her to hiss in pain.
The sound only made the boy sob harder.
He looked up, furious. "I woke up in the ambulance. You were in the next stretcher. You were so pale, and the sheets all around you were bloody. They were putting you on an IV. I said your name but you didn't answer..."
He swallowed. "Ayako said you saved my life. You didn't even realize you were cut."
She smiled wryly. "I hit my head. Got tossed out of my body. I knew I had to get back to you."
"I'm sorry." He repeated.
"I'm not."
She opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the quiet twilight creeping across the room.
The chair was empty, but the feeling of safety remained.
Masako breathed softly beside her.
"I'm not sorry." She whispered to the shadows.
But it was kind of funny. The whole time Naru had been holding her in the pool, skin to skin, back to chest...
She hadn't thought about her scar once.