**Hello everyone! I apologize for the very late update! I can't believe I've been MIA for the past three months. My new job is very demanding and has been my biggest priority, but now that I have been settling in I should hopefully be able to start posting at least once a month again. I do have a lot of projects I need to make for Christmas gifts so (as of now) I'm not planning to post another chapter until January, but sometimes the inspiration strikes and I start writing like crazy. I want to say thank you to all you readers out there and a huge thank you to the ones who have followed/subscribed my story so they can be notified right away when I post new chapters. There are only about another 15 chapters left so we're finally starting to get answers to some of the many questions in this story. As always, if you guys see any typos or anything just message me and I'll fix them. Sometimes I reread my chapters so many times that I don't notice the typos or mistakes easily.**
Chapter Thirty-Nine
"Happy birthday, Mai."
Delicate fingers tenderly traced her cheek at the memory. She swore the warmth of his lips were imprinted on the soft skin like a tattoo. For the past day and a half, the brunette found her mind wandering back to the events of Saturday night. He had been such a gentleman that evening from start to finish. A pleasurable shiver ran through her as she remembered all their stolen touches. The way he whispered into her ear to explain what was happening at the orchestra. The way he held her hand as she entered and exited his car. The way that very hand rested against her back as he guided her through a private midnight tour of the aquarium.
Pearlescent teeth teased her bottom lip. Dare she entertain the sliver of hope that he might return her affection? Or was he just behaving the way any gentleman would? Her mind was in conflict as her heart raced faster every time the memories surfaced.
The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the woman to jolt out of her reverie. Her fingers pulled away from her cheek as though she'd been electrocuted. Brown eyes snapped up to see her friend standing in front of her with a sideways grin.
"Lost in thought, hm?" Yasuhara teased.
"I-I was just thinking about something," Mai stammered in embarrassment.
"You've been staring into space all morning," the bespectacled man noted. He braced his hands on the woman's desk and leaned towards her with a suspicious glint in his eye. "Don't tell me...did something good happen this weekend? Did you and boss man, you know-"
Mai quickly covered his mouth, much to his surprise, and quickly glanced over at Oliver's closed door as if she expected him to walk out at any moment. "Shh! Don't be ridiculous!" she whispered harshly.
Yasuhara gently took her hands away from his mouth and smirked. "You know, I'd be more inclined to believe you if you weren't acting so oddly. So. Care to spill the tea?"
The woman turned her nose up to the man. "There's nothing to tell. And even if there was-which there isn't- I wouldn't go blabbing about it in the office," she huffed. "It was a lovely evening, nothing more."
"A 'lovely evening' with Mr. Ice Cube?" he teased with a raised brow.
She frowned at the untasteful nickname. "Yes. And don't call him that. An ice cube wouldn't have taken me to dinner or-" she stopped herself from continuing. "...nevermind."
Yasuhara's face lit up. "'Or' what?"
Crossing her arms, Mai turned away from the man. "Will you drop it?"
"I just found out the man I've known for years, who has had zero interest in anybody but himself, took you out to dinner. On his own free will, at that. If you think I'm going to let this drop you clearly don't know me very well. I need the tea. I crave it. Do you know how bored I get all by myself in the other room? So out with it, then. Where did he take you to eat? Was it posh? It was, wasn't it?" the dark haired man pestered.
"Why does it matter?" she snapped in a harsh whisper, quickly gathering a pile of files on her desk.
"Come on, Mai, at least give me something," he pouted.
"He was just being nice since it was my birthday," Mai confessed, standing quickly to put away the files in her arms.
A dramatic gasp reached her ears and she looked over her shoulder. Yasuhara held a hand over his heart and was looking at her, highly affronted. "It was your birthday? You didn't tell me! Or any of us for that matter."
Mai chuckled at her friend's antics and turned back to the filing cabinet. "Calm down, I didn't tell Naru either but he must have remembered it from when he first hired me. It's just a birthday, I didn't want to make a big fuss."
By the time she turned around, Yasuhara was looking at her with a mix of sympathy and tenderness. "Maybe you didn't have anyone to celebrate your birthdays with before, but you're one of us now. Friends celebrate together."
She thought back to all the lonely birthdays and holidays throughout the years and dropped her gaze. A small smile pulled at her lips at his words.
"You're right...I'm sorry. I guess I'm not used to..." She trailed off, unable to admit the fact that she never had anyone there for her to care about such things.
Yasuhara reached a hand over and rubbed the top of her head comfortingly. "No need to apologize. And just so you know, we will be taking you out for your birthday. You're not off the hook."
The petite woman halfheartedly swatted his hand away and fixed her hazelnut hair that was now thoroughly tousled. "Okay, okay. Shouldn't you be getting back to your desk before Oliver accuses you of slacking?"
"Well, I mean, he'd technically be right. There's nothing to do today, I'm so bored," her friend mumbled. "Don't forget, sometime this week we're taking you out so leave your evenings open," he called over his shoulder as he made his way back into the other room.
Mai sat down in her seat with a sigh and stole a glance over at Oliver's door. Part of her wondered if he would want to join them in celebrating her birthday with the others. A memory of the other night filled her mind and she felt her face grow warm for the upteenth time that day. As if on their own accord, her fingertips absentmindedly reached up to trace her cheek once again.
The man who had been occupying her mind had secluded himself in his office from the moment he arrived that morning. She'd barely seen him aside from the few times she brought him a cuppa. For the past few hours she could hear his muffled voice, informing her that he had been on the phone with someone. With whom, she had no idea.
"Mai," his deep voice summoned her through his closed door.
The woman quickly sprung to her feet and made her way inside. "Can I help you, Naru?" she asked eagerly.
The man was wearing his reading glasses again and Mai's chest constricted at the sight of him. An involuntary sound escaped her lips, causing him to look up at her with a brow raised in amusement. Quickly averting her gaze, she tried to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Um, you called for me?" she asked innocently, clearing her throat.
His eyes closed briefly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've been on the phone with an old coworker from France. He is currently on a case that bears resemblance to one we've previously done. Would you be able to find the file for me?"
"Of course! Do you remember the name or date?" Mai tilted her head curiously with a warm smile.
"Gibson. I'm quite certain it was only this past December," he supplied.
"Righto! I'll be right back," she chirped and spun around.
Humming to herself, she made her way over to the filing cabinets with a bounce in her step. She opened the drawer that held the files from December and began her search. To her right she absentmindedly heard Yashuhara's phone ring.
"Let's see," she whispered to herself. "Brown, Ferreira, Freeman, Grant…"
"Hey Boss! Gene's on line one!" Yasuhara's voice echoed loudly through the building.
"We have an intercom for a reason," Oliver muttered to himself, causing Mai to chuckle.
She brought her attention to the files again, searching for the correct one. "Gibson! There you are."
In her haste to withdraw the file it slipped from her hands, scattering it's contents on the floor. Heaving a sigh at her carelessness, she bent down and gathered the stray papers. She placed them carefully back inside the folder and began to stand.
"Mai-"
The sound of Naru's voice suddenly behind her startled the woman, causing her to stand too quickly. The top of her head made contact with the underside of the filing cabinet drawer that was still open and a pained squeak left her lips. The file fell from her hand once more but she paid it no mind. Squeezing her eyes shut, she crouched down on the floor and covered the top of her head with both hands, hoping to alleviate the throbbing pain.
"Oww," she whimpered.
Within seconds Oliver was on one knee in front of her, gently resting a hand over hers. "Are you okay?"
Mai timidly opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with a concerned frown. She took in a shaky breath but nodded nonetheless. "I'm alright. Just startled, is all. I thought you were still on the phone in your office."
"I was. It was Gene," Naru stated, carefully removing Mai's hands from her head. She watched him with warm cheeks as he quietly assessed her wound. His fingers gently probed her scalp, feeling for any bumps. "Luckily I don't feel any cuts or welts," he said softly.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Oliver held her gaze for a moment before gathering the scattered papers on the ground. She watched as he got to his feet and offered his free hand out for her which she readily took.
"Gene said something came up and he's unable to train you for the next few days. Hopefully he will be back by Thursday. He said he tried calling your mobile but I'm assuming you have it silenced," he said as she stood.
Mai looked over at her desk and tapped the screen to her mobile. There were two missed calls from the man.
"So he did," she said with a small frown. She couldn't deny that she was a little put out. Since she was getting better at meditating, she had been hoping to practice astral projection again today. "I guess my training can wait a day or two," she sighed to herself.
"Who said you have to wait?" Oliver asked.
Mai looked at him with a quizzical look. "You just said…"
"I said Gene wouldn't be able to train you. That doesn't mean I can't," he corrected with a grin pulling at his lips..
Brown eyes creased in happiness as the woman beamed. "Really? But last time you were there when I trained you-"
Oliver interrupted with a clearing of his throat. "That was different."
Not wanting him to change his mind, Mai stopped her questioning. "When shall we start?" she beamed excitedly.
Mai couldn't contain her happiness as she took a seat in Oliver's chair. It wasn't often when he was able to help her with her training. She looked over at the man sitting directly beside her in the candle-lit room. The flickering golden light danced across his face, his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks as he lit a stick of incense.
After blowing out the match in his hand, Naru turned toward the brunette. "Everything's ready. You may start whenever you're comfortable."
"Okay." She smiled in return.
"Mai?" he asked.
She turned her head in question. "Yes?"
The dark haired man was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to formulate the correct words. "I'd like to ask you to do something for me."
"Yes?" she repeated encouragingly, wondering what it was that he needed from her.
"If you are successful in astral projecting today, I want you to touch my hand," he stated, holding her gaze.
"Oh," she gasped, slightly taken aback. "O-Okay. But last time…"
"Last time I hadn't been expecting to hear your voice suddenly so close to me. Not many things take me by surprise. Now that I know what to expect, I'll be composed this time around," the man reassured.
"May I ask why you want me to touch your hand?" she asked softly.
He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "Last time you touched my face, did you not?"
Mai could feel her cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. "I-I did, yes."
"I could feel it, even though it was not your physical body touching me. It wasn't very strong, but the sensation was still there," he explained. "Most astral projectors can only separate from their body and simply observe their surroundings. However, there are some who are able to physically interact and manipulate items while in the astral realm. I wish to confirm that you possess this ability."
"That's pretty cool," Mai replied in awe.
Oliver smirked. "Yes, it is. It can also prove to be quite a useful skill in our line of work."
The woman inhaled deeply and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready. And remember, you told me to do this, so if things start rattling again it's not my fault."
A small chuckle left the man's lips. "Understood."
Another thought came to the brunette. "Just try not to zap me this time, if you don't mind," she added with a chuckle.
It was his turn to tilt his head in question. "Pardon?"
"When I touched you last time, it zapped me...didn't it zap you, too? It felt like my arm had been electrocuted," Mai informed.
His brows furrowed in unease. "You didn't tell me that before."
She waved a dismissive hand. "I was fine. It went away after a minute or two. And anyway, I was more worried about you at the time."
The man's eyes narrowed at the newly found knowledge and his countenance soured slightly. "Forgive me."
Mai laughed softly. "It was my own fault, you don't need to apologize."
Her words didn't seem to put the man at ease. "Now that I know what to expect I'll be sure to have better control of my powers."
"Naru, really, it's really okay. I was fine. You were the one who had all that pent up energy inside you..." As the words left her mouth, the weight of their meaning rang in her head. "Wait...Gene mentioned that you constantly have to control your powers. Naru...does that mean that energy I felt is always there?"
No response came, instead he only held her gaze. His silence spoke volumes, answering her question without needing to say a word.
Her chest ached at the thought of Oliver feeling such pain every second of every day. She frowned in concern. "...Does it hurt?"
He studied her for a moment before exhaling through his nose. "I mastered containing my energy at a young age. However, I suppose there have been times where it's grown...uncomfortable. But, you won't gain any experience with astral projection if we sit around talking about me. Let's begin, shall we?"
Mai looked at him sympathetically but decided to let the subject drop for the time being. "...Okay."
Leaning back in his plush chair, she closed her eyes. She tried to let her thoughts fade away and focus on the crackling candles. Her brows furrowed. Try as she may, she couldn't distract herself from the knowledge that Oliver's powers were constantly needing restraint and occasionally hurting him.
The other day in the astral realm, she only touched him for the briefest of moments, yet the pain had lingered for a good minute or two. Her heart ached at the thought of Oliver constantly dealing with the pain all on his own. Her mind wandered, thinking about everyone else's abilities and wondering what the cons to such powers were.
"Mai," Oliver sighed, noticing her lack of focus.
She opened her eyes and looked at him with shimmering eyes. "But Naru, you're going through all of that pain by yourself. It's not fair. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. I want to-"
Her words fell short as the man reached out and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "Thank you for your concern, Mai, but it is something I've been long accustomed to."
She opened her mouth to reply but he beat her to it. "We can continue this conversation another time," he said gently.
Brown eyes held onto blue for a moment more before conceding. "Okay."
"Good. Now close your eyes," Oliver instructed.
This time Mai closed her eyes, her mind was less cluttered. She could see the faintest orange glow from the candles through her closed eyelids. The lullaby of their crackling wicks soothed her mind. Her heart rate slowed as her body relaxed in her meditative state. Soon, she could feel nothing but peaceful relaxation.
All concept of time was lost to her within the peace of her own mind. It could have been seconds or it could have been ten minutes before she could feel the beckoning tug in the back of her mind. She followed it's call and suddenly the air around her changed, alerting her that she had entered the astral realm.
Opening her eyes, she found herself standing next to her body. She had to admit, it was still a little unnerving to see herself like this. Mai bent down and studied herself. Her head was resting against the back of Oliver's chair and it appeared as if she were just sleeping. The rise and fall of her chest was slow and steady, no signs of distress or strain.
A curious thought came to mind and she wondered if her body could sense her spirit just as Oliver had. She carefully reached out and laid her hand atop her head. Closing her eyes, she focused intently and tried to see if she could sense anything in her body.
Nothing.
She retracted her hand, and tapped her chin thoughtfully. Maybe she could get Naru to hold the hand of her body and she'd see if she could feel that. After all, if she were ever astral projecting on a case it would be handy to be able to sense if something were happening to her physical body. She didn't like the thought of leaving herself so defenseless.
Standing up, she looked over to the man who was sitting patiently beside her unconscious self. Oliver's eyes were closed as he waited patiently. He had an ankle crossed over his knee, with his hands lap. The soft pads of his palms faced up, awaiting her touch.
Mai calmly made her way over to his side and hesitated for a moment. After all, she was currently able to admire his good looks without him being able to catch her in the act. She slowly reached out a hand and brought it closer to his. A part of her was nervously anticipating the same electric shock she had felt the last time she had touched him in this realm.
Bracing herself, she closed the distance between their hands. She could feel Oliver's fingers twitch slightly at the sudden contact, but there was no pain.
"Mai?" he called out questioningly. His eyes were still closed as he focused.
"Yes," she responded softly. She gently ran her fingers along his palm, slowly trailing them down the length of his fingers.
His fingers carefully curled, wrapping around hers. Her breath caught as she stared at him, mesmerized at the way he gently took her hand in his and ran his thumb along her knuckles experimentally. Her gaze traveled up to study his face once more and she noticed a stray strand of hair had fallen across his brow.
On its own accord, her hand reached out to correct the wayward hair. The moment her fingers brushed against his skin a faint tingling sensation traveled through her hand and Oliver's eyes snapped open. Before she could pull her hand back, the man's free hand quickly reached up and held it into place.
Mai stared wide eyed at the man who was looking right at her. "C-Can you see me?"
The shock in the man's eyes began to fade, but his fingers wrapped around her wrist. "No."
"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," she apologized embarrassedly.
"It's okay," he reassured. "But, we should probably get you back in your body before this takes too much of a toll on you."
He let the hand near his face drop, however, his hold on her other hand refused to release.
"I'm assuming you're able to sense me," she laughed nervously, stating the obvious.
"It's faint, but it's there," he affirmed, looking down at where their hands met as if he were trying to solve a puzzle.
Mai followed his gaze and her fingers absentmindedly tightened around his.
"I should probably…" she began but trailed off. From behind her, she felt an odd sensation, as if something were calling to her. She turned her head and saw a will-o-wisp floating on the other side of the room.
"What's that?" she whispered to herself. She felt as if she were in a daze, being drawn to the glowing orb. Mai took a step towards the mesmerizing ball of light, and her fingers slowly slipped away from Oliver's.
The man's brows furrowed in concern. "Mai? What's happening?"
Entranced, she made her way across the room. The faint sound of a woman humming reached her ears and she realized it was coming from the wisp.
"It's a wisp...I think it wants me to follow it…" she said, entranced.
"Mai," Oliver called warningly, looking in the direction of where her voice came from. He quickly got to his feet, knocking over the chair in the process. "Get away from it."
Her hand reached out involuntarily. Something in her heart enticed her to touch it. "It's okay, Naru," she whispered distractedly. "I think it wants to show me something…"
"Mai, don't-" his words suddenly stopped the moment her hand touched the will-o-wisp. She covered her eyes when a bright light suddenly blinded her. Her hand felt as if it were being encased in ice and slowly the sensation crawled up her arm and slowly engulfed her body.
As soon as it appeared, the sensation was gone.
Mai opened her eyes. Her hands were braced against a short chest of drawers. The first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in Oliver's office. The second thing she noticed was the wedding band on her finger.
Her hand came up to rub her forehead as if possessed. It didn't take long to realize she was in someone else's body.
"Why am I so dizzy all of the sudden?" a voice said.
Wait. That was her voice, but she didn't say that...
Her mind whirled in confusion.
As if possessed, She felt herself give out a short sigh before turning back to a basket of laundry. A gentle tune began to be hummed, it was the same song she had heard back in Oliver's office. Mai continued to watch as an onlooker while the hands started to fold the smallest of clothes.
'Baby clothes?' she thought to herself.
The hands stilled momentarily and the person whose body she was currently occupying looked around cautiously.
Mai's gaze fell on a photograph hanging on the wall and her heart skipped a beat.
It was a photograph of herself. But that wasn't all. There was another occupant in the photo and she could recognize that black hair and blue eyes anywhere. The man was standing next to her, wearing a black suit while she wore a white gown.
Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her throat.
'Oliver!' she gasped.
Suddenly she felt her body stiffen. Her head turned and looked over towards the wall above the dresser. A mirror hung there, reflecting her own image back to her.
"It's you again, isn't it? Why do you keep watching me? Who are you?" her reflection demanded in Japanese.
Mai stared at the reflection of herself and the surrealness of the situation was becoming highly overwhelming.
"Tell me your name. Now," came another demand.
'Taniyama Mai,' Mai responded telepathically.
Her reflection's eyes widened briefly before narrowing. "You're me?"
'Yes?...And no?' Mai said timidly.
"How is that possible?" the other version of herself wondered dumbfoundedly.
'I don't know,' she admitted.
"Why do you keep spying on me?" the other Mai ordered.
'Spying?' she echoed only to freeze. Mai suddenly remembered all the odd dreams she had been having recently. The dreams that also starred a certain dark haired beauty. 'That was real? I thought they were just dreams.'
Her reflection was taken aback. "Dreams?"
Mai started to feel odd. Her body felt electric and nausea filled her. 'I...I have to go,' she said.
"Wait!" the other Mai called out to her.
The next thing she knew, Mai found herself blinded by that familiar white light and her body felt as if it were once again covered in ice.
"Mai!" a firm voice called out to her.
Her eyes snapped open and she inhaled a deep shaky breath. Her gaze darted around the familiar office wildly until they landed on the man kneeling in front of her.
"Oliver?" she asked frantically.
His intense gaze softened as he saw how lost she looked. "Mai, what happened?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her cheek.
The feeling of his hand against her face was enough to anchor her. She could feel the adrenaline ebbing away and was slowly able to catch her breath.
"I think I know why I've been having those weird dreams," she whispered.