Ok I am sorry... it's been stressful recently, with class and coursework and sorting out internet and stuff. I hope you enjoy! And if you are reading this, I could use a comment to pick me up and get my page back on track!! I live for validation from others, I'm deplorable!! Thanks x
~o0o~
Mai's trance like state broke when her phone rang.
She pulled away quickly, blushing furiously.
She nearly kissed Naru.
She didn't look at him, so she missed Naru pouting a little.
Mai grabbed her phone. "M-Moshi Moshi" she greeted, her embarrassment clear in her voice.
"Mai, are you home safe?" Gene asked, worry evident.
"Oh yes, I'm home" Mai tried to force a smile into her voice. She could hear Yasu in the background. Mai nearly laughed as she heard her best friend complain that he needed help changing his clothes.
"Ok that's good" Gene wished Yasu would let him leave. He wanted to talk to Mai privately. "Is my brother on his way home?"
Mai looked at Naru. He didn't seem to have any intention of leaving any time soon. She put the cell on speakerphone, and held it so Naru could talk too.
"No he's still here" Mai called loudly. "I made tea"
"Tea sounds really good right now" Gene sighed. "But I'm afraid if I let Yasu make me tea, he might try make me stay the night"
"Yasu has taken quite a shine to you, he might try make you stay forever" Mai joked. "Don't worry I will realise your brother after he finishes his tea"
"Good, see you at home Oliver" Gene called. "Night Mai, I see you at the office tomorrow with breakfast"
"Night Gene, thank you" Mai called back softly, before the phone beeped and Mai was once again alone with Naru.
"I think he did that on purpose" Oliver muttered. Mai was busy reading a message Yasu had sent about Gene ignoring him.
"What was that?" Mai asked, blushing and putting away her phone.
"I said, do you want me to leave?" he lied, his voice soft and full of conflict. He wanted to stay, and... well nothing considering how drunk Mai was right now. He was raised better then that. But how could he make any move on Mai, when his brother felt the same way about her that he did.
Mai was feeling that conflict too. No she wanted him to stay, and kiss her at least. But she wasn't so stupid to miss how tenderly they both treated her. While it seemed strange, she got the feeling that she would hurt Gene by being in anyway close with his twin.
"Do you think Gene likes me, as more then a friend?" She asked, blushing.
"Probably" Oliver answered kindly. "But you don't feel the same?"
"I don't want to hurt his feelings" Mai bit her lip. "I can't very well date him and be in love with his brother"
"You're in love with me?" Oliver's voice was breathy.
"Since the first time we met" Mai admitted. "How do you, umm" She nearly lost her nerve. "How do you feel about me?"
He didn't answer right away. Mai eyes bore into him, and her lips were parted in anticipation. Her head tilted ever so slightly and her hands clutching her skirt.
And he kissed her.
A slurry of nerves and excitement washed over them.
And just as the passion and hunger set in, the kiss was over... and those feelings turned into guilt.
~o0o~
Gene was sat at the table, nursing a cup of tea when his brother came home. Gene waved him over, and Naru went to join him. His tea already waiting for him.
"Had a nice time with Mai?" Gene asked, intending to sound accusatory, but ending up sounding a lot more... sheepish.
"She makes good tea" Naru answered, shrugging.
"That why you like her?" Gene pressed, sipping his tea.
"It adds to her charm, but that's not why I like her" Naru signed. "And you?"
"What you said" Gene agreed, resting his chin in his hand. "But she doesn't seem to like me back"
"You should ask her yourself" Naru suggested, but he knew Mai would feel terrible having to reject either of them. However if their rolls had been reversed, he would need to hear Mai say it... for closure and finality.
"It's quite obvious, so there's no need" Gene looked genuinely upset. "She said I was like a brother to her"
"I'm sorry, I'm sure she didn't know that could upset you" Naru sipped his tea. It was pretty good all things considered. "What are you going to do?"
"What I should do" Gene perked up. "I'm gonna step aside, because you are my brother and I love you"
Naru smiled at his brother. "I love you too Gene, it's always been just us, but you will always be my brother"
"Older brother" Gene insisted.
"Childish" Naru teased. They both cracked up a little at the predictable nature of their conversation.
"I think Yasu likes me" Gene muttered after a minute or so.
"I think he likes you too" Naru smirked. "Glad I dodged that bullet"
"He's a nice guy, don't be so cold" Gene defended.
"Gene I didn't know you played on both teams" Naru tilted his head innocently. Gene blushed.
"I just thought that he was nice and all" Gene assured, pouting into his teacup.
"He is, and if you end up liking him, then that's cool too" Naru put his hand on his brothers arm, to make him look up at him.
"I don't know yet, maybe I should give it a go, once things settle down a bit" Gene admitted. "But I do have one favour to ask, since I did offer to back off"
"Ask away" Naru prompted.
"I still wanna go on a date with Mai, just the two of us, as friends" Gene requested.
"If she wants to, then it's fine with me" Naru agreed, finishing his tea. "Anywhere in mind to take her yet?"
"Not yet" Gene admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
"Well then take her to an amusement park" Naru suggested, looking up something on his phone. "We know she likes them, and I think she deserves to go with someone who will join her on the park rides"
"And you don't mind me taking your girlfriend on a date to an amusement park?"
"Mai and I aren't dating yet, I couldn't ask her till I had gotten your permission" Naru assured. "Besides, you are my brother, of course I can trust you to keep your word, and Mai is her own woman. I'm not in the habit of telling her what to do"
"That's very mature of you Naru" Gene looked down, kinda jealous at how cool and collected his little brother could be. "Tell me something, did you kiss Mai?"
Naru looked away. He nodded.
"Did she kiss you back?"
Naru nodded again.
"Ok, I'm gonna pretend not to be jealous" Gene chuckled. "We should get to bed, we need to be up early for work"
"Sure"
~o0o~
True to form, Gene showed up tomorrow with a bag full of baked goods.
Mai was waiting at the door for them, dressed tights, shorts and a big jumper, she looked kinda adorable. She smiled at them as they approached.
"Morning" she greeted, sipping her big takeaway cup of coffee.
"You're here nice an early" Gene smiled. "Trying to make a good impression?"
"You know it boss" Mai saluted.
Yasu waltzed up behind them. "Hey you copied my thing" he pouted. "Ooh I smell baked goods"
Mai rolled her eyes. "Sorry Yasuhara, I only wished to be as cool as you are" she teased.
"Work on that" Yasu chided, winking. Mai laughed and the four of them went inside.
Mai took off her jumper and her scarf, before wandering over to her desk. She had just booted the computer when Naru put his hand on the desk.
"Mai, tea" Naru called. Mai nearly fell off her chair.
"I'm gonna grow to hate that, aren't I?" Mai wondered allowed. She went to the kitchen and Gene followed her. Said something about getting plates for the pastries.
She got out cups and smiled. "Those smell amazing"
"And they go well with tea, so I hear" Gene smiled awkwardly.
"Everything goes with tea" Mai challenged, noticing the subtle shyness in Genes voice.
"You sound like my brother"
"That does sound like something he would say" Mai chuckled.
"Can I ask you a favour?" Gene requested, his voice a little tighter. He was worried she would say no.
"Sure"
"I wanna try out one of the amusement parks, and my brother flat out refused to join me" Gene started, and he could see the nervousness flash in Mai's eyes. "I know what happened yesterday, my brother told me"
"Oh" Mai whispered, feeling really on the spot.
"It was his idea. He said that you might have liked to go with someone who would join you on the rides" Gene didn't quite understand how he was coming across. He didn't seem to be able to form sentences correctly.
"It was his idea we go on a date" Mai looked a little offended.
"Oh no, not a date, nothing like that" Gene rushed to clarify. "Just as friends"
"Gene?" Mai muttered slowly. "What did your brother tell you?"
"Oh he told me about, umm" Gene blushed, hating that he had to say it. "That you guys kissed and what not"
Mai blushed so scarlet, she nearly fainted. "Wait what? Why would he tell you that?"
"It didn't happen?" Gene was now really confused. Mai froze.
"I thought I dreamt it" she admitted. "I was so sure that it was all a dream, it was really hazy"
"So Oliver kissed you when you were drunk?" Gene was a little upset now.
Yasu stopped just outside the door, having heard nothing but that last exclamation. He had come to hurry them, but this seemed really interesting.
"It's not his fault" Mai needed to defend him. She admitted that she loved him, so if course he would think that it was ok. "I was the one that instigated it"
Yasu poked his head through the door. The look on Mai's face made it completely worth it. She looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.