Happy (late) New Year! Isn't it funny that I started this story for Christmas, but we're already in 2012, sorry 'bout that. I hope you're liking the story through :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt

Chapter 12: Wrong and Stupid

It wasn't long before we reached our room. Naru shoved me through the doorway, slamming the door behind him and locking it. We heard the audible slap as Monk and Ayako, in the lead of our hunters, slammed into the door.

"This is crazy," I gasped, slumping to the floor in a heap.

Naru breathed heavily, resting against the door. He stared at me with indecisive eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked, breathing just as heavily as he was. I attempted to standup, but just hit the floor again. "I need to take a shower and then go on a witch hunt for a ghost and a supposed to be dead boy."

"It's elven. I'll help you with the latter tomorrow morning," Naru growled the anger that he was actually feeling seeping into his voice even though his face was blank. Yep, I knew it. He was just as pissed as I was about Gene not telling us. That boy might actually be dead in the next few hours.

I left out a long suffering sigh, contemplating my options. Go to bed now, wake up sooner to kill Gene? Take a shower now, wake up later, but more refreshed? I pursed my lips, considering before I picked.

"I'm going to take a bath," I mumbled, grabbing my suitcase and towel.

"Fine," Naru said, grabbing his own suitcase. He was already throwing off the Victorian suit-jacket and button up shirt when I closed the door.

"You guys are as cold as ever," Stephanie sighed from the other side of the large old-fashioned tub. Her hair was curled in a messy bun and her shoulders were bare.

I had just slipped into the warm, bubbly water and would have jumped, but her random appearances weren't so surprising anymore. "Why should that be disappointing?" I asked with a bored tone.

"But I've been trying so hard. Putting you guys in that play wasn't just for fun you know," I said, faking scooping up the water and rubbing it down her arm.

"It sure seemed like it with how much you were laughing," I pouted, crossing my arms and sinking lower into the water.

Stephanie grinned, moving through the water to settle next to me. "Don't pout. You know you liked being fawned over by him. I did see your little kiss in the closet you know." She waggled her eyebrows at me.

A blush spread across my cheeks, but I stayed quiet. She was absolutely right. I'd actually loved getting doted on by Naru. Having Yasu falling all over me was admittedly less than fun. I frowned into the water, making bubbles.

"Come on, just admit it, you love him," she said, punching me in the arm. Her fist went through my arm leaving the spot icy even in the warm water.

"I can't. He doesn't feel the same way," I mumbled dejectedly.

Stephanie scrunched up her face at me. "You have no idea how he looks at you do you?" she asked, staring at me.

"He doesn't look at me in any way. He told me I loved his twin brother!" I shouted in a whisper so that Naru couldn't hear me. I really didn't care if he could hear our conversation, but he didn't need to hear this. "He obviously doesn't have feelings for me!"

Stephanie burst into laughter. "Gene was right, you two are so dense! Ask him! Ask him when you get out of the bath!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, making sure Naru could hear her through the bathroom door before disappearing.

I stared wide-eyed at the spot where she had disappeared. I took a huge breath, slid under the water and screamed myself hoarse. I resurfaced, sputtering. It was silent for a long moment then I heard quiet conversation filtering under the door. I could only make out a few words from Naru every now and then, but the second voice was all mumbles.

With a sigh, I pushed myself out of the cooled water and wrapped myself in a towel. I really didn't want to go out and have to sleep next to Naru after that conversation.

My eyes widened as this revelation came over me. I was going to be sleeping in the same bed as Naru! My head started to spin. I dropped my head between my knees before I passed out. Was I even going to get any sleep tonight? I highly doubted it.

I took a deep breath. It was time to grow a pair of ovaries. "Yeah, let's go!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I pulled on my pajamas, an over-sized T-shirt and pajama pants. With one last steadying breath, I opened the door and peeked out.

A bedside lamp was still on, but Naru had fallen asleep. He was sitting up in the bed, a book open on his lap. His head rested on his chest like he'd been looking down at the something that was clutched in his hand.

I tip-toed over to him looking down at what he held. He was holding a picture of two young boys that were about ten-years-old. The both had jet black hair and deep, navy blue eyes. The one wearing a bright green shirt was smiling. The one wearing black from head to toe was glaring at the camera. The glaring one was giving the smiling one a piggy-back ride.

It must have been Naru and Gene when they were young. Naru had given me another picture of when they were younger that had made its home on my nightstand.

I wiggled the picture from his fingers. "Just as handsome as they were young as they are as teenagers," I murmured, smiling as I compared the older and younger version of Naru. It seemed like nothing had changed, "Nope, nothing at all."

"What are you talking about?" Naru asked groggily, making me jump about ten feet into the air.

"Nothing," I said too quickly, hiding the picture behind me back.

Naru stared at me like I was mentally unstable. "Mai, I know you're hiding the picture behind your back," he said, closing his book and setting it aside.

"Sorry, I was just looking at it," I said, handing it back to him. I rocked back on my heels, refusing to meet his eyes.

Naru took the picture, staring down at it for a long moment. He moved his eyes to me, sighed, and moved to the other side of the bed. "Hurry up and turn off the light. We have a lot to do tomorrow," he ordered, leaving the covers flipped back for me.

"Yeah, cleaning up Stephanie's mess," I said, grinning as I slid under the covers. I snapped off the light and slid deeper under the covers. An uncomfortable silence filled the room until Naru finally said something.

"I heard you and Stephanie talking in the bathroom," Naru murmured, his back to me.

I stiffened. "What did you hear?" I asked cautiously.

"Something about us being cold, to ask someone something and that Gene knows that we're apparently dense," he told me, turning to stay at me in the gloom. I just hoped he couldn't see the deep red blush coating my cheeks.

I giggled nervously. "Oh really? Yeah, she's kind of crazy. I have no idea what she was talking about," I mumbled, averting my eyes.

He gave me an appraising look. He moved his eyes to the ceiling as he muttered mostly to himself, "That means that Gene is really still alive. For the past two years I've been searching for his body when he's been alive this whole time. I'm going to kill him for this."

"I know what you mean," I told him with a grin, "I feel the same way."

Naru looked at me again. "Do you…still love my brother?" Naru asked slowly, testing the words.

I gasped. Did I hear his right? He'd really just asked me that? "Naru, I don't love Gene. I like Gene, he's like a brother to me, but I love…" I said, stopping to swallow down the lump that was building in my throat, "But I still love you. I never loved Gene romantically, it was always you." Reaching out a hesitant hand, I took Naru's.

Naru closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Stephanie told me I was wrong and stupid. I guess she was right," he told me.

"I thought I'd never see the day when the world's biggest narcissist admits he was wrong and stupid," I said with a huge smile.

Naru pushed himself up on his elbow. "I thought I'd never see the day when I'd be able to do this," he said, leaning in and pressing his lips to mine.

There you go. I know this chapter could have been better and that Naru was a bit OOC, but I hope you liked it all together. Review please :D