Chapter 4: Taking the Risk
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt
WARNING: Contains a dash of lime.
Is she asking me what I think she's asking?
The not-so-young [anymore] boss of SPR Japan is currently having trouble comprehending what his precious friend just said a few moments ago. The ticking of the clock hanging carelessly on his apartment's worn out walls is the only sound registering in not only his struggling mind but also all throughout the dimly lit living room. He's terrified of making a sound thinking that an unintended grunt will seemingly send off some kind of mixed message towards the brown-haired assistant-disguising vixen. Not only that, he cannot believe she beat him to the punch of asking her out first. He was stumped. Happy but speechless.
Mai's intense gaze on him never wavered. She's waiting for his reply. Hoping upon all hopes that this time around she will not be picking up the unfixable shattered pieces of her already damaged heart alone. Again. She started feeling the watery substance invading her courage-faltering eyes along with the sudden dither of her newfound bravery with each breath-hitching passing of a second.
Naru opened his mouth to say the ever hoped-for-after-all-of-these-years 'YES' when the heavy silence was broken by the shrill wail of a mobile phone. Both of them jerked at the loud sound and frantically searched to shut [kill] off the darn thing.
Recognizing the melody still being played, Mai emptied her skirt pockets to retrieve the annoyingly blaring metal contraption. Seizing the current object of hatred, for now, she blinked rapidly at the name and number currently displayed on the screen.
"You should take that. It might be important."
She looked up at Naru's face and was not surprised to see a look of irritation marring it. He was and still upset for being cut off at a really important time for both of them, by a phone nonetheless and by someone, who he hoped, is not a waste of their time.
"I'll make this quick."
You better.
Not even bothering to stand and seek privacy, Mai answered the call with a masked jovial tone trying her best to not let her temper reek to the phone's microphone.
The action alone brought a smile to Naru's lips, happy that she felt comfortable enough to take a personal call with him still there. Years ago, she wouldn't even do that.
"Hello?"
"-"
"Yes, this is she."
"-"
"WHAT!? Wait. Hold on."
Phone still glued to her ear, she speedily marched out of Naru's living room and towards the Main door. Naru, his curiosity besting him, followed wordlessly after the said brunette. He almost wince at how she slammed his door open, wishing the hinges would not fall off at an inopportune time.
Taking his attention back to the woman standing with her back in front of him, he noticed that she's no longer talking on her phone rather conversing with someone at the building hallway. Or more accurately, someone at her own apartment door which is conveniently next to his.
"Mai-san?"
He inwardly cringed at the familiarity this certain person is having toward his friend. To makes matters worse, the voice sounded distinctly male.
"Umm, I must have gotten your door wrong."
He can already picture his 'oops-I'm-wrong' look and oh how he wanted to slam the door to his fac—Wait a minute. They know each other!? And why is Mai handing out her address to someo—Oh no. Don't tell me he's that guy she said that had asked her out!? Is he the one she's on the phone with!?
"No. That is my apartment door."
He noticed Mai's head nod to someone other than the one in front of her.
Oh. The bastard's not alone. If that is another male I'm gonna—
His thoughts were interrupted by another question, although the voice sounded quite feminine.
"Then why-?"
"This is my friend's apartment. I was over here when you called."
"O-ohh. Alright."
Naru, not liking the situation at all decided to butt in the conversation. Mai sensing him suddenly whirled around to face him with a stern 'we'll-talk-later' look and quickly closed his door leaving him quite upset and disgruntled.
W-what the hell!? Did she just-!?
He clumsily reached for the knob finding it wouldn't budge figuring Mai still had it in her grasp on the other side. How she'd even manage to do that, he has no clue. So he did what he only thinks he could do; put his ear against the door hoping to at least understand what they were saying.
Oh god, I feel like a kid eavesdropping on what my parents got me for Christmas.
He heard a couple of muffled sounds that are way too difficult to even understand.
What in bloody hell are they talking about!?
After less than 10 minutes and hearing the turn of the doorknob, he uncharacteristically ran towards the living room for the sudden fear of getting caught. Eavesdropping nonetheless. Also, he didn't want to face the wrath of a certain calm-looking [deceiving] lass.
He found himself trying to steady the erratic beating of his heart while making his face as composed as possible. He acknowledged his friend's presence when she got in the living room with papers on her hands which she gently laid down on his coffee table. Flopping herself next to him -and quite near him too- she let out an exhausted sigh.
"Mai, are you alright?"
She [seductively] eyed him for a long minute before a pout is present on her lips. He inwardly gulped at the possibility of her distressing aura. Feeling guilty for even eavesdropping, even though he didn't understand a single thing, he was ready to apologize to her thinking it was what made her angry.
"I'm sorry."
The words tumbled out of not his mouth but rather from the woman next to him.
"W-what?"
"I owe you an apology and an explanation. I'm sorry I closed YOUR door in your face. I.. I don't want her to see you."
"Who?"
"A colleague of mine at the University. She's also working as a part-time lecturer on some of the seminars being held there. She's kinda looking for a new boy toy and.. umm.. Aaaahhhh! This is so fucking embarrassing!"
Mai exasperatedly covered her reddening face while swishing it from left to right hoping to will the humiliating emotion away.
Naru could only look at her because: One, it was one of the rare times he heard her curse and Two, he felt embarrassingly happy at the thought of her not sharing someone [him] she thinks is hers. He couldn't help but smile at the pleasant thought.
"Mai."
"I'm sorry Naru! I just don't want her to see you! She WILL definitely go after you-"
"Mai."
"And she will bait you with her whorish ways and-"
"Mai, I.."
"Put on tons of heavy ugly make-up and act so- "
"MAI!"
His voice seemed to boom around his almost spacious living room halting Mai in her endless ramblings. His heart ached at the look of guilt and shame present on her face. He then gently cupped her face in his hard calloused hands, both thumbs skimming over her reddened cheeks.
"You don't have to worry about that."
"Huh?"
Naru let out a small chuckle, evidently amused at her slowness.
"Oh yeah, I forgot I have to talk simple since your after-college-burnt-out-mind can't handle this kind of responses yet."
"W-WHAT!?"
"No need to shout, stupid."
"S-stupid!?"
"Will you stop stuttering? It's getting irritating."
"Why! The nerve-"
She was cut off by a pair of lips on her own. Forgetting her anger she kissed back eagerly, moaning when she felt his tongue lick her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and greeted his tongue with her own instead, not letting him in just yet.
Liking the way she's trying to gain control of the kiss, Naru let her explore his mouth while gently laying her down on the soft sofa. Mai positioned herself underneath him where he hovered above her. He leaned his elbows on either side of her and placed himself in between her legs. He thinks he had found his new favorite place. He then left the sanctuary of her lips – with their combined saliva trailing down each other's lips - and started kissing her cheeks.
"Taniyama Mai."
He was quite shocked at the huskiness of his voice knowing how lustful he may have sound. He smirked at how she minutely shivered at his words.
"If that kiss is not enough answer to your question, then I'll gladly go all the way."
He continued to kiss along her jaw line and momentarily stopped when he reached her cute sensitive ears then blew his hot bated breath in it earning him a shiver, a moan and surprisingly a body arch. The graze of her chest to his, accompanied by the previously mentioned results drove him to the edge of pleasure making him push his raging hard-on on her warm-still-clothed center. Both of them releasing their lust-coated moans.
"Aaahhh~ Oliver.. mmmm~"
"Mmmm~ Mai.."
He kept pounding on her not caring if they're still clad in their clothes. He wanted to stop, knowing that they are moving way too fast and doesn't want their relationship to start with them having sex. But hearing her repeatedly moan out his name makes it difficult for him to stop.
"Ahhh~ Yes.. Ooohh.. Oliver~"
"If you keep doing that Mai, I won't be able to stop myself."
He could hear himself breathing heavily and knows that if they continue he will take her then and there. And maybe atop his dining table, on the kitchen counter, in the bathroom shower and under his warm covers on his king-size bed. Just the thought of all of the possible places to make love to her is drowning him in an exhilarating whirl of lusty need.
"W-wait Oliver. Yeah, you're right. We should stop. We are going way too fast."
Thanking her words, he painstakingly stopped his actions and just lied on top of her careful to not crush her under him. He can hear the rapid beating of their hearts, both of their bodies slowly coming down from the almost-heavenly-high they just had.
"I guess we were just excited from being single for almost a year. That and finally this. I really want you to be mine, Mai."
"Aww.. That's so romantically cheesy Naru~"
She let out a hearty laugh while embracing the man on top of her. She sighed heavily in which Naru noticed. Worried that something is troubling her, he kissed her neck soothingly making her moan again.
"Is something troubling you dear?"
"This feels like a dream come true. I still can't believe you like me back."
"Mai."
She looked at Naru and didn't even realize that he'd started to sit up. He offered her a hand that she gladly took. She let out a small squeak when Naru's hands went to her waist and hoisted her in his lap. He leaned his back on the sofa gently while Mai unintentionally straddled him.
"Umm.. Naru.. I think.."
"Don't worry love, I just want you in my lap. Nothing more."
"O-okay."
She unconsciously tucked a hair under her ears while biting her lips. The action went unnoticed by Naru especially the beet red state of his woman trying to be comfortable on her seat.
"Sometimes I am amazed at how red you get when you blush. Is it because of where you're sitting on?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
Mai shyly turned her head away from him while mumbling something incoherently.
"I think you better speak up darling."
"I'm just surprised at your sudden use of affectionate pet names. I've never heard you use them on your previous dates before."
"That's because I never really felt something as strong as this when I was with them. To tell you the truth, I only dated them because you started dating. I was still trying to sort out my feelings for you."
Mai scoffed at him. He then gave her a look but then she shook her head.
"What can I say? It took you, what, a douchebag to realize you like me then YEARS to actually act on it?"
"We grew close and like you said I too was not willing to risk our friendship. Every night I always thought of confessing but then… The idea of you not reciprocating my feelings gnaws my heart to shreds. I know I'm not good at this. You know that. Look how many girls didn't even get past first base with me?"
"Mhm~ I know. It's either they got turned off by your egotistic personality or they wanted to get in your pants bypassing the First and Second base Rule."
Not liking the sudden off topic discussion they were having, he tried to stop the brewing idea inside Mai's head.
"Mai, don't you even think of-"
"Oooh! I even remember you slamming down on my door since your 'lusty date' wanted to devour you~ Haha."
Naru frowned at her mocking tone. The memory of that evening still haunts him. It started out when he and Mai went to a bookstore to pick up some new books for the office when they were approached by a seemingly normal-looking young woman. With encouragement from Mai, he decided to take her out on a 'normal' lunchdate followed by a second one the next day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until the evening of that same day when he was awoken by someone breathing down his neck and almost squealed like a girl when he saw her on his bed, in the middle of the night, in only her knickers. Feeling like a damsel in distress desperately clutching his bedspread, the not-so-seemingly-normal young sex-hungry woman lunged at him pinning him on his bed whispering deadly threats if he didn't fuck her hard. Thanking his lightning-fast thinking, he managed to quietly get out of his apartment by tricking her or more like smooth talking his way out. That's when he frantically knocked on Mai's door and asked for help. With a few calls to the authorities and flying knives, the problem was solved. They never saw that woman again. Naru never dated anyone for half a year after that.
"Hahahahaha! I told you lunchdates are a No-no. You must have bored her out of her mind! Hahahaha!"
By then a permanent scowl has settled on Naru's face clearly not amused at the guffawing Mai still sitting on him. She managed to clutch on his midnight blue shirt to prevent her from falling off of him.
"Yeah yeah. Funny."
"Haha.. ha ha.. ha~ Wow. I'll never get tired of that."
He waited for Mai to finally ease out of her annoying but cute laughing moment before he decided to speak up.
"I too started to think of taking my dating seriously. Hoping that on each passing day I'll gradually feel less and see you in a more friendly platonic way. But seeing you snuggled comfortingly in another man's arms suffocates me. All those good-for-nothings you've dated, how I wanted to scare them to death."
He then proceeded to place his hands on her hips and looked directly at her.
"Every time you date a new guy, I felt like I've lost my chance. Every time you were happy with him, I felt like I wanted to die. Every time you cry because of him, I felt useless. You don't know how happy I was when we became friends. You don't know how thrilled I was every time we hang out and spend time together even on your busy schedule. You don't know how ecstatic I was knowing you will be with us, even for just a few days, on a case. You don't know how proud I am of you when you graduated from College and even earned a promising position as one of their lecturers. You don't know how much I trust and value you.. You don't know how much I love you."
She cupped his face and gazed lovingly at him.
"Now I do.. Oliver."
Wiping away happy tears from her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long sweet kiss in which he kissed back intensely. His hands that firmly rested on her hips slowly started to go under her shirt. His fingers lingered on her skin making her hot and ultimately she let out a groan of satisfaction. Hearing no cries of protest, Naru pulled out his right hand and gently groped her breast over her shirt while his other hand, still underneath, traced circular patterns on her back.
Mai pulled back her lips from Naru to let out a much-deserve moan. Naru then took the opportunity to assault her smooth creamy neck with bites and kisses not really caring if he left a mark. He felt Mai's fingers massage his hair lovingly, her quick breaths and his sucking the only noise he could hear.
Going down to her deep v-shape neckline, he kissed and licked the velvety skin peeking out of it, his hand still groping her breast. His face was suddenly buried in her cleavage due to Mai arching her back at the sensation accompanied by her whimpering moans.
"Oh my.. That felt good Oliver.. Aahhh~"
"I'll make you feel even better babe~"
The hand under her clothes went down her skirt and gently grabbed her soft well-rounded rear massaging it tantalizingly while his other hand started to pull up her shirt. He was halfway done when a very loud and stern cough froze them in the spot.
"No wonder both of you never bother to go to the office."
Thanks again for the reviews, favorites and follows!
Hopefully this is enough as of now. Don't worry guys, things will start getting steamy from here on out.