Lin woke up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked blearily at the clock on his beside table and blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. He knew that today was important, but why? He stared at the red numbers of the clock and swore. It was Mai's birthday. She was turning eighteen and he hadn't found anything to give her, no matter how hard he looked. He stretched and slid out of bed, settling on his feet and standing upright. Looking down he swore softly then turned back to the bed and began removing the sheets. As he bundled them up and dumped them in the washing machine his phone began to ring. He scooped it up in one hand as he headed for the kitchen, he held it to his ear then around a foot away.
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A very drunk, very loud Ayako was on the other end of the line, and I could hear Takigawa trying to convince her to give him the phone, followed by a click and dial tone. I sighed and put the phone down. I put a teabag into my favourite cup and doused it with hot water. I looked down at the cup and smiled. It had been a gift from Mai actually, for Christmas last year she had given Naru and I cups for work. Which had never actually made an appearance there, which had made her laugh. Naru's had read 'I care about your problems, if they affect me.' and mine said 'I'm not your mother, I won't clean up after you.' I laughed softly and sipped my tea.
I went back into my bedroom and remade my bed, pausing to drink some tea occasionally. Just as I was finishing up, both the making of my bed and the tea, the door bell rang. I glanced down at my state of undress and sighed, grabbing the dressing gown from the back of my bedroom door as I headed for the door. Just as I reached the door it opened and Naru came in. He glanced at me and chuckled.
"Bad morning huh? I'll make myself some tea. Go get ready." I blinked at him and nodded, before turning away and heading for the bathroom. As I removed my dressing gown and boxers I heard the kettle boiling and Naru talking, presumably on my phone.
I immersed myself in the water, feeling it run over me, through my hair, a little longer than it used to be, and down my chest and stomach. I grabbed the soap and scrubbed myself down, before rinsing and getting out of the shower. As I wrapped a towel firmly around my waist I heard more speech coming from my living room, and it wasn't Naru's voice, was he watching the tv? I opened the door and stepped out, on my way to my bedroom, and my eyes widened. Mai was standing in my living room, and I was only wearing a towel. Bollocks.
I nodded and headed for my room, intent on dressing. I went in and saw my empty cup and I thought came upon me. I could use this to my advantage. I turned back to the door, and headed through the living room into the kitchen. I may as well get that coffee while I was at it right? Naru watched me and going by the expression on his face, he knew exactly what I was doing.
I made my way across the room, and tried not to laugh at Mai, she was blushing a fantastic shade of red. I turned on the kettle and turned back to her and Naru, smiling. She grinned back at me and laughed slightly.
"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners, happy birthday Mai." I stepped forward and held my arms out. She stepped forward and I wrapped my arms around her. She squeaked slightly as she remembered that I wasn't wearing much of anything. I laughed, low and deep and she giggled, blushing once again. As I stepped back Naru chuckled and looked at his watch.
"If we don't get a move on then Takigawa is going to drink all the sake.." He said meeting my eyes. What he meant was that if I didn't quit it with the flirting then he was going to kick my arse. He's an over protective big brother all right. I met him look for look and replied.
"I think, judging from the phone call I received earlier, that Ayako has probably already managed that." I'd hurry, just to shut him up. I went back into my room, dried off swiftly and began dressing. I could hear the murmuring of their conversation through the door and sighed. I always had trouble with that the whole long conversation thing.. Silences were more comfortable, as were facts and working.. I had to do something about that I told myself. I checked my outfit in the mirror I'd installed a few weeks ago and pulled a face. I was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and blue jeans, I ran a hand through my hair and winced. I'd only just realised that this was the first time Mai, or any of the others for that matter, aside from Naru, will have seen me not wearing a suit. Ah well... Here goes nothing. I pulled open my bedroom door and heard something fall to the floor. I looked up to see Mai reaching fo the cup which had apparently fallen from her grip and laughed again. Okay, so being out of a suit wasn't a bad thing.. I think..
Mai stood blushing, hands tightly gripping the cup, and apologized profusely. I smiled and took the cup, and Naru's, into the kitchen. I set them in the sink and retrieved my jacket from the back of a chair.
"We'd better get going, we don't want the others to get to drunk with you, do you Mai?" I said smiling, and I saw Naru smirk out of the corner of my eye. I held open the door as Mai headed through the door way, when I head he feet reach the stairwell I turned to look at him.
"What?" I said, he looked at me smirk sill firmly in place and chuckled.
"Not half obvious are you? I suppose you are going o tell her today then?" His smirk turned into a smile as I nodded, a blush forming on my cheeks. I swallowed and felt my nerves failing.
"Do you think.." His mocking smile fell away as he realised just how worried I was. I bit my lip and he stepped forward.
"It'll be fine, now lets get down to the car, can't keep the birthday girl waiting can we?" He said as he headed out the door, pausing only to squeeze my shoulder. I followed him, locking my door on the way. When we reached the car Mai was eying us suspiciously, hoping we weren't going to do anything along the lines of last year's drama this year. I think the only reason it was being forgone this year was because the others realised what as going on with me over the last few months. Pathetic isn't it? I'm almost ten years older than her... I sighed as I unlocked the car and we piled into the car. Mai decided to sit in the front with me, leaving Naru in he back. Mai immediately took over my radio and we drove in relative silence to Housho's home. We'd agreed to meet there because it was comfortable and not to far from the restaurant we were planning on visiting.
I pulled up outside his home and had to blink several times, not believing what exactly I was seeing. Housho looked up at us and mouthed 'HELP'. I trtied to contain my laughter, and failed dismally. Ayako was in one of the trees that bordered his fish pond.. I say in, what I really mean is dangling precariously out of.. I got out of the car and headed over, Naru and Mai's laughter following me. I sighed and hoped that the pond was particularly deep. I pulled off my trainers and socks, and folded the hem of my jeans up to my knees. I waded into the pond, which was thankfully only to my mid-calf and wrapped my arms around Ayako. She laughed drunkenly and petted my head as I carried her over to Housho. I passed her to him and sighed. The idea of these two starting a family was truly terrifying, but that's what generally follows marriage isn't it? I rubbed my forehead and turned back to my car, only to be handed my keys and tugged into the house by Mai. I looked for Naru only to find him carrying, to my surprise and no doubt to his own, my trainers, with a sock shoved into either one.
His gaze warned me not to breathe a words and I didn't. Mai bounced through the doorway, keeping her grip on my arm and led me into the living room. She released the captive arm only to flop down on the couch sighing. The other three appeared moments later and housho handed me a towel after placing Ayako in her chair.
"Thanks Lin.. Sorry about that.. Now.. What are we waiting for?" He grinned and went into the linked kitchen, appearing moments later with drink for all of us. John showed up, flustered as usual with one exuberant boyfriend at his side. I will never begin to fathom that relationship.. John and Yasuhara took up the spare space on the couch and Yasuhara passed Mai a small wrapped box with a beaming smile.
"Happy birthday Mai!" He said, and waited impatiently for her to open it. She stared at it for a moment and just as she was about to the front door banged open and we could hear Masako's yelling from the front door. I suppressed a smile and bit my lip. A young male ghost has been haunting Masako for the last few weeks and no-one has had the heart to exorcise him. She burst into the room and flopped down onto the last seat. I returned my attention to Mai and found, to my surprise that she was glaring at the boys, it seemed their present wasn't acceptable.. As a blush swept into her cheeks I realised that it was acceptable.. just embarrassing. I looked to her clenched hand and caught sight of the spine of a book. I chuckled slightly and turned to John.
"Did you two find that one together?" He blushed this time and I smiled more than ever. I glanced at Mai and saw that she appreciated it. She had hidden the book in her bag ad I mused to myself. If things went well maybe we could have a look through it. The Kama Sutra's Stairway to Heaven, what else should a pervert and a priest buy an eighteen year old for her birthday?
Naru and that others presented gift at that point and I sighed. I settled back into my seat and began to wonder if they planned on embarrassing he to death before I got to say my piece.. Probably.