DISCLAIMER - I do not own Ghost Hunt or Vampire Knight
I finally got back to this fic and finished it up. It has been fully re-edited and completed, and will be posted again.
Enjoy!
"Mai, please sit down." Naru said formally as she entered his office with a steaming cup of tea. She paused in confusion, feeling the cup slowly burning her hand as she did so. Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! She thought, hiding her wince as she hurried to the desk and put the cup down carefully on a black coaster, being cautious not to spill any of the boiling liquid on the expensive wooden table top. Despite constant use for over a year the varnished surface was still flawless as far as Mai could tell. It's a wonder considering the hours he spends sitting at it…
"What is it?" Mai asked innocently as she sat down on the cushioned chair in front of Naru's desk nursing her hand. The chair was only usually placed there when he was expecting a client, which piqued her curiosity to no end. He didn't answer straight away. He was busy writing, cobalt eyes fixed on the page in front of him, totally oblivious to the girl sitting impatiently before him. Are you going to tell me why I'm here or just sit there ignoring me? She wondered restlessly, her light hazel eyes flickering with annoyance as he continued writing, the pen scratching loudly and fluently across the page in Naru's neatly curled handwriting.
"We have a new case, for which we're going to have to go undercover." He replied finally, not looking up from his work. His pen still scratched away fluidly, but from the way he suddenly sat a little straighter and gritted his teeth slightly Mai knew there was more to what he said. Come on Naru, don't keep me in suspense! She thought as she looked intently at the dark haired boy. "I don't have many details, but it's sure to be dangerous…I mean more so than usual this time, so I won't force you to come." He continued. His pen pausing for a second, a second so slight that if she hadn't known Naru as well as she did she wouldn't have noticed. She knew that he was conflicted within. Part of him wanted her to go with him because of the advantages she gave, but the other part was reluctant to put her in harm's way.
"What's the case?" She asked, ignoring his obvious silent question, and the ebony haired boy had suspected no less. Naru paused and put his pen down, looking into her eyes directly as he lifted his head to gaze at her, all thought of his report forgotten as he readied himself to tell her about the case. This was when she found Naru the most attractive, when he lost himself in the early stages of solving a puzzle.
"It's a research job, or should I say spy work." He began, raising his hand as she opened her mouth to state the obvious, that they weren't a private investigating agency. "I know what you're thinking, but this request comes from a reliable supernatural research society. They believe there's something very strange about a school called Cross Academy. They want us to infiltrate, watch for anything suspicious, and report back to them." He explained while Mai nodded occasionally to show that she was listening, however there were things that didn't make sense in what he was saying. Seeing an opening for her first burning question, Mai leapt in.
"Why can't they do this themselves?" She asked almost suspiciously as Naru looked at his watch idly, probably working out how much more work he could do before he'd have to go home and begin preparations for this case. It wouldn't be too much work since all the equipment for the van would be loaded up the next day with Lin and Monk-san's help, and if she knew Naru then the papers he needed would be organised and ready to go too.
"Apparently some students of the Night Class know their faces, and that's the building they want us to keep an eye on." He replied simply, sitting back and folding his hands on the desk in front of him. The girl before him scowled, her intuition clearly telling her something wasn't right, and that was exactly how he felt about the situation. Something definitely wasn't right.
"But if they wanted to keep an eye on the building itself then it shouldn't matter if they're known or not. What exactly are they asking us to find out?" Mai asked suspiciously, but Naru shook his head, leaning forward against the desk in the process. As he leaned on his elbows the papers beneath them got a little ruffled, but for the moment he was too preoccupied to notice. Mai watched as he laced his elegant fingers, staring at them intently as he thought over the problem.
"That's the problem. I have no idea. They said I'll know when I find out, but something doesn't feel right…I have a bad feeling about this case, and from the information they've given me it's sure to be dangerous." He replied as he pulled back and straightened his papers, looking down at the almost completed report before looking back at Mai. She knew he was giving her another chance to back out. He always did on the more dangerous missions. And to be honest I'm getting sick of it!
"You know I'll do it." Mai stated unnecessarily. It was true. Naru had known since the moment she'd sat down that she'd be going with him. Even if he'd told her she couldn't come she would have found a way to get around him. He'd tried many things to discourage her from joining them in the past, but no matter what she always refused to stay at the office. Not that he could blame her. They'd had some very interesting cases. She'd also proven her worth in helping him to solve a lot of their cases. She was quickly becoming indispensable. That didn't mean he liked putting her at risk though.
"We leave here tomorrow morning at seven." Naru stated as he sat back in his leather chair, receiving a nod from Mai as she got to her feet. Cross Academy…What could possibly be hiding behind those doors? She wondered, a shiver running down her spine making her feel uncertain of what was to come.
