Autor's note :
Here we go again ! At the time where I write this line, I dont know if I will be able to publish fast, because of Christmas and everything. But it is to say : I will try !
I have guests at home so it is possible that I don't have any time to write :( Sorry.
I wish you all the best New year ! With lot of food, drink and good time !
Nannaly :
Merci ^^
Je suis d'accord. Lorsque ça va trop vite, on est déçue. D'autant plus que ce duo lui même fait qu'on ne devrait pas pouvoir aller vite (si on reste dans les caractères des personnages!). Mai encore, je dis pas, mais avec Lin, impossible d'aller vite. Mai sera t-elle prise pour cible ? Réponse ici même. Mais effectivement je ne souhaite pas ce cas ciblé sur elle étant attaquée. Et si elle devait l'être ,ce serait, je pense, sans abuser.
Voici le prochain chapitre. Peut être un peu court, je l'avoue, mais sinon il fallait encore attendre une semaine ;) Alors je l'ai coupé.
Bonne lecture.
Joys :
Thank you for the review. Aaah « was » and « were »… I kind of write it without noticing. Sometimes I correct myself immediatly… and some other times I just don't see it -₋- I will try to be carefull.
Here is a short chapter:) I hope you will enjoy it as well !
Disclaimer : Of course, I don't own anything other thant new characters.
Summary : Slow burn story about the relationship between Lin and Mai through life at the office and on cases. From co-workers to lovers with all the in-between.
Pairing : Lin x Mai
Hated or not ?
3
The Cabin's case
A warm hand
Prefecture of Nagano – Nagano - The Cabin – One in the morning.
He came back. And he came back really fast.
After the last attack and seeing as Lin was tired and would surely not be able the be efficient the next time, the Chinese man decided to set up a barrier, which was combining the powers of charms and the one of his shiki. The idea was to create a little space -little because his actual tired state would not allow excessive utilisation of power – around them who would protect them from the spirit, at least until day break were they would more simply go outside the house were the ghost never attacked. There, they would wait for Naru to come back.
That was the plan. « Was » being the key word.
Lin was finishing things up when a chill ran down his back. The temperature was droping, again. After that, everything went fast. He tried to hurry to finish the last charm when he heard Mai shouting his name. Lin didn't have any time after that to get up and to turn around. In a matter of seconds he felt something hard hit his head and immediatly, everything got dark.
« ...! »
His headache was there again. His eyes were still closed. The only clear thing was that the dull pain was back ten times worse.
« ...N ! »
There was this buzzing in his head. Something far away. But his eyes, hell, his whole body was so heavy.
« ...SAN ! »
Little by bittle, things were coming by. The buzzing was now some sort a whistle. Feelings actually came back in parts of his body like feet and hands. His eyeslid were less heavy.
« LIN-SAN ! »
His eyes shotted open.
It was no buzzing, no whistle. Suddenly Mai's shouting was clear as day. And felt terribly wrong. Her voice were full of fear. No, it was panicking. Terror was lacing in every letter of his name. She couldn't possibly shout louder than that, with tremors in her voice.
Lin searched for her. And sure, he finded her.
Mai was on the wall. Her feets wasn't on ground anymore. Some kind of force was maintaining her there. It seemed to keep her by her neck. She was trying everything to move but he had her in place. Her eyes were wet with tears. Filled by dread. And Lin saw what for.
One of the window's glass had been broken and a lot of shards were flotting in the air, facing menacingly Mai. One was already by her shoulder. It had broken her skin. Not enougth to be dangerous but it was soaking her garment with blood.
Lin was glad. Glad because he was tall.
In one swift movment, he was up. Right while taking a first really big step, he called his shiki, at the same moment another shard departed to the wall. Lin demeanor was sort of calm and collected, as if this sort of situation was usual. But inside, he felt fear. Fear of not behind quick enougth. Fear to see more blood coming from the young woman.
The second step, he started to take a running start. The second shard landed near her right ear, cutting slighly. Then the shiki fighted the spirit and he fighted back. Before being forced to step back, all the shards started their courses to the wall.
The third step, Lin was litterally dragging violently Mai down to the ground, an arm around her waist, the other behing her head forcing her face on his neck, tighly keeping her against him, making his own body a barrier against the broken glasses. One got him, piercing his left shoulder. The rest shot straight were Mai had been seconds ago.
The time continued without anything moving anymore. The spirit was gone, the shiki came back to Lin and the place was eerily silent. In all of that the duet didn't try to move, like if, if they were doing so, everything would start again.
Her breath was quick. Her heart was wild. Her mind was blank, filled with fear, incapable to calm down. She was still seeing, in her head, the shards facing her and Lin inconcious on the floor.
Mai shutted her eyes down, wishing for her nerv to calm down.
Nothing worked. She was panicking. Everything had end, was calm, but for her, it was still running.
Suddenly, she felt the hand on her head caress her hair gently, almost as if she would broke if the caress was too strong. Mai's heart skipped a beat and slowly she started to feel again.
She felt warm assaulting her body. It was coming from him. His tall body protecting hers, a steady heartbeat to call her back from panick. And words, spelled so slowly that she needed to concentrate on them to understand…
« Taniyama-san… it is over… »
She was completly loosing it. He felt it well. Everything was silent around them but in his arms, the young woman had yet to calm down. He felt her trembling, breathing fast.
He didn't made an habit to console women. He valued being respectfull, professionnal and polite but only a few women knew him for more than that. First was his mother. Second was Madoka. But, he remembered having been harsh to Mai. He knew he was upset about realising it late. Wasn't she deserving some kindness from him if she needed some ? Wasn't it true that he himself would feel less upset if, right this moment, he was admitting not to mind being gentle?
Strangely, the very idea wasn't so disturbing. So he started to stroke her head slowly, murmuring soothing words.
Feeling her relax slowly had Lin feel better too.
And like that, Mai calmed down.
« I'm sorry Lin-san... »
« What are you sorry for, Taniyama-san ? »
After helping Mai to feel better, Lin finished the last charm and together they entered the protected area. They were going to be in it only some hours. Day break wasn't far ahead. But true enought, it was a small space, easier to protect. It was large enought for tree people. Enought to sit down there and wait, what was what they were actually doing.
« Well… once again you had to protect me. And… for helping me after that... »
« It is nothing Taniyama-san. »
His tone was serious as always, and a bit tired.
« We knew from the start that your specialty was not to protect yourself against strong spirits. »
« But you were already tired enought... »
« Taniyama-san. Don't mind me, I am fine. We should start treating our wounds.»
See you next chapter : P I choosed to cut it. With new year and all it was difficult to work on this chapter. :)