Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Burnt Desires: Part 6

Ambling over, Mai crouched down beside her boss and reached over to give him a helping hand, taking away his box of monitors with a thief's grace and catching his hand in the process. Naru shot her his famous glare, eyeing his stolen box of treasures held captive in her grasp. Mai bit her lip, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks at the sudden contact. She forced back a gulp, holding down her blush with a concentrated scowl aimed at the ground.

She swivelled shyly on the heels of her feet away from her boss, staring heatedly into the plastic box filled with many, many monitor screens, scrutinising the overflowing stacks protruding out from the top. Ignoring her boss' pointed stare, Mai gently flicked through the screens, counting each stack with her index finger. Naru already seemed to be in a foul move, and she just hoped Yurei had managed to sort out a spare room for their base.

"Mai." Naru's voice brought her out from her thoughts, and she turned towards him, catching the brisk shake of his head. "What do you think about Miss Yurei's name?" He asked suddenly, catching her by surprise.

Mai blinked, plopping herself down on the firm ground. "Yurei's name?" She pondered, resting her hands in her lap. Thinking it over Mai thought back to their discussion with the client, picking and tugging at the past memory until she suddenly found what she was looking for and gasped, realising what he meant. Before her mind could catch up she reached into her pocket and fished out her notebook, flipping to the page where she had written down the clients name in her rushed, clumsy handwriting. "Spirit," She said aloud, meeting Naru's gaze.

"In Japanese folklore, Yurei translates to ghost –or more commonly, dim spirit." Naru said, cautiously reaching for his stolen box. "It's an odd name, not like one I've ever heard of before." He continued, edging his hand closer until his fingers were a few inches away.

"Odd indeed!" Mai snatched the box up from his prying claws and shoved herself to her feet, dusting herself down with a free hand. "Yurei Hachimitsu." She rolled the name off her tongue, pursing her lips at the sound it made.

Cocking his head at the sound, Naru couldn't stop the smirk that tugged at his lips, wondering how his name would sound falling from her lips. "Her surname seems completely normal in comparison to her given name, making me wonder whether the spirit 'influencing' her is trying to be funny."

"S-So you're saying it's not her real name?" Mai frowned. She hadn't thought about it like that.

"No. I'm certain it's not." He stood up to join her, still determined to get his box back. After all, he had grabbed it first before it was rudely snatched away by the meddlesome girl standing beside him.

As if sensing his eyes on the box, Mai deepened her frown, staring at his hands resting against his hips. His long, s-slender hips- "AH!" The blushing assistant almost slapped herself at the thought, startling the narcissist who simply raised a concerned brow, staring at her in disbelief at her sudden yell. Lin hadn't even flinched. Tightening her grip on the box, Mai shoved the monitors at Naru's chest, keeping her head bowed to hide her embarrassed flush. Where had that come from!?

Not being able to trust herself in his presence, the assistant gave him a quick little push, spinning him around to face the house before ushering him inside. Finding himself in a sticky predicament, Naru sighed deeply, going along with Mai's sudden pushy demands as he retreated into the house and let out a low chuckle, shaking his head with mirth.

Making sure the door had been shut behind the narcissist Mai cradled her head in her hands, wondering what had provoked such a thing. Since when did she have thoughts like that over her boss? HER BOSS! How is that even possible!? Mai groaned into her hands, desperately trying to think of something else to get her mind off of things.

Lin cleared his throat from behind the van's boot, quirking his brow at her shameful look. Mustering a glare for the assistant Mai stared him down, looking at him with uncertainty before releasing a sigh, bending down to go through another box of monitors. After counting the first stack Mai stopped, swapping her gaze from the monitors to Lin as something sparked in her thoughts, reminding her of a question that had been left unsolved.

Naru had managed to divert her attention at the time, muddling her thoughts with his sudden crack of humour and confusing her to no ends as she stood in the middle of the corridor, wondering if he'd been hit over the head with something hard and heavy. And for some reason Naru had refused to 'enlighten her', as he had put it, leaving her in the dark. But if Naru knew the answer, then surely his favourite Chinese assistant would as well. A predatory glint flickered across her eyes as she stalked towards her prey, bringing the box with her. "Lin?" She called gently, batting her eyelashes innocently.

The assistant looked down at her with mild shock, supporting Naru's cold stare as she approached. "Yes?"

"Earlier, Naru said that there was possibly more than one spirit haunting this place." She said slowly, struggling to remember what he had called the type of possession. "He said it was something like...Spiritualist Possession, I-I think."

Lin chuckled, crossing his arms in amusement. "Spirit Possession." He corrected.

"A-Aha, yeah, that thing." She flushed, embarrassed at her mistake and lack of memory. "Well, he said it was possible that Yurei is being influenced by a weak spirit, and that it can only possess her a few times a day. But then he confused me," She paused, furrowing her brows. "He said there might be more than one spirit..."

Lin nodded before delving into the details. "Low class spirits are weak, which is why they can only possess the host's body for a few minutes each day. They are not strong enough to materialise fully, nor are they able to move furniture and objects around at their pleasure because of their weak souls. The only way for them to interact with us is to take over someone else's body and almost 'lend' their ability to move and touch, having a brief amount of power that allows them to influence their host for a short time." Lin explained, leaning against the van. "Since this spirit is weak and frail, Naru believes there are multiple entity's in the house because a low class spirit like the one possessing Miss Yurei wouldn't be powerful enough to materialise behind her to push her down the stairs." He broke off, giving her time to understand. "There is a possibility of there being a much stronger low classed spirit in the house."

"Great," She pouted, hugging the monitors to her chest. "More ghosts."

Lin reached over and patted her head with his large hand, smiling at her childish antics. "That's what you get for working with the paranormal business, Mai." He chuckled lightly, tapping the box in her grasp. "Now, move along," He steered her back towards the house. "Noll will get angry if you don't start taking the equipment in." He pushed her lightly inside, smiling at her doubtful stare. "Go on!" He laughed when she didn't move, nudging her further in and closing the door shut behind her before she could say anything. "Women." He muttered with a shake of his head, casting a withdrawn look at the approaching fog.

"...I guess I'd better get to work too."

Mai stared frustratingly at the wall of wood blocking her passage, tightening her grip on the box in her grasp. "Men." She grumbled half-heartedly under her breath, releasing her frustration to the house with a silent growl. Although Lin seemed a little cold and reserved at times, to Mai he was more friendly and considerate but he wasn't the type to shower her with affection like Ayako or Bou-san; Lin was just, Lin.

Mai treated the rest of the team like her second family because they were always there for when she got into trouble or needed help. But most importantly, they kept her occupied from her lonely apartment.

Shaking her head Mai spun on her heel with a begrudging look, slowly making her way down the corridor in hopes of bumping into Yurei, having forgotten to ask her about some spare rooms for them to stay in until they solved the case. I just hope I don't bump into Naru instead. She gulped.

Breathing out a sigh as she passed the main staircase, Mai suddenly became aware of the feeling of being watched from the top of the stairwell. Her steps faltered as a frigid breath washed over her, settling around her shoulders and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. Her eyes widened in fear as she felt her hands tightened around the box clutched so tightly to her chest –her grip being so tight that her knuckles turned white. An immense emotion sliced straight through her and Mai couldn't help the frightful whimper that escaped her lips, jarring her thoughts as she stumbled to a halt. Her legs stung from the lack of attention, spiking Mai's worry and panic.

Run.

With a determined look Mai forced her feet into action, quickening her pace into a run as she hurriedly escaped from the spirit's overbearing gaze, not daring to chance a look back. Her shoes slapped against the floor with her fear egging her on, locking her grip around the equipment held stiffly against her chest, enduring the pain as the edges of the box dug into her arms.

Feeling her breaths turn into ragged pants Mai slowed down once she had put a good distance between herself and the entity, not wanting to overexert herself as she settled her pace into a walk. If her grip hadn't been so tight around the box of equipment she would have certainly dropped it. Pushing her thoughts aside, Mai bit her lip and carried on with her walk, wondering perhaps if the spirit she'd just encountered had something to do with the entity that had pushed Yurei down the stairs. Both incidents just so happened to come about in the same setting, making her wonder whether it was just a simple coincidence or not.

Shaking her head Mai loosened her grip on the box, hearing the faint taps of approaching steps resounding don the hall. Mai looked up at the owner of the steps, recognising the familiar set of black locks sitting atop the figure's head. His placid expression somehow aroused her earlier thoughts of his tall, lean figure, causing a deep flush to skim across her cheeks. Not again! She cursed inwardly, feeling her cheeks heat up with an uncomfortable blush.

Naru nodded at her as he passed, watching as her drop her head suddenly at the sight of him, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair, holding the box higher to hide her embarrassed flush. His chest rumbled as a quiet chuckle emitted from his lips, widening his strides as his lips quirked up into a smirk.

Mai cursed her unreliable emotions, wishing she could pull off a solid poker face like Masako. She couldn't understand her thoughts lately, hating how her mind was acting. Sure, her boss was attractive and she wasn't afraid to admit that. She had always noticed how some of the clients gave him second looks; even Masako had used him as eye candy, yet her actions were proved wrong when it came to light on how she had managed such a thing. Through blackmail of course. But Mai wasn't like them. She had more pure intentions and would never force someone to pretend to date them –something which differentiated her from the TV star.

Breaking out from her thoughts Mai came upon the room she deemed as their base, stopping beside the open door which appeared to be inviting her in. Eyeing the equally balanced equipment in her hands, Mai stepped forward and entered the room, noticing the box of monitors sitting lonesome on a shabby couch positioned in the centre of the room, displaying the lack of housewarming attributes in the bare and practically empty room.

"Is it big enough?"

"A-Ah!" Mai yelped in surprise at the sudden voice, dropping the box of monitors with a loud thump at her feet. Naru was going to kill her! Biting her lip, Mai spun around to meet her surprise attacker, feeling her heart pound against her ribcage. "Y-Yurei." She gasped, focusing her startled brown orbs on the client staring right back at her with a bewildered expression.

"Did I startle you?" Yurei asked with a sheepish grin, taking in Mai's rattled appearance. "Sorry!"

"N-No, no." Mai shook her head, calming her heart with a sigh. "I wasn't-"

"MAI!" Naru's angered yell came from the front of the house. "That had better not have been the equipment!"

The assistant almost jumped out of her skin, holding back a scream at her boss' sudden shout. She'd never heard anything quite like it. Fearing Naru's wrath, the bewildered assistant stumbled in the process of grabbing the box, grasping it with her shaking hands before hurriedly depositing it on the couch next to Naru's box, replying with a stuttered, "N-NOPE! I think you're hearing things, Naru!" She yelled back, shooting an apologetic frown at Yurei before rushing out the door of the make-shift base, away from her boss' nearing steps.

"Mai!"

Mai rushed on ahead with her escape, skidding past dusty tables and muggy chairs in an attempt to lead him elsewhere. For now she just needed a place to hide; somewhere nice and quiet, and away from her boss' temper. She'd return once he'd toned it down. Pushing herself on, Mai kept running until her legs were tingling with exhaustion, finding herself skirting back around towards the entrance of the house, halting at the sight of the stairs. Choosing a door at random, Mai scurried into a dainty closet hiding beneath the staircase, hoping the spirit was long gone. Her foot connected with the door and she lunged inside, kicking it shut with a swift boot.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips and she slid down the back of the door, resting her head against the cold wood. She had taken the cowards route out, and was willing enough to wait out in hiding long enough for Naru to cool off. She was praying to the Kami, hoping that she hadn't broken any of the equipment. "Unlikely." She muttered miserably.

This was going to be a long night.

When Naru arrived at the base, Mai was no where to be seen. The girl had presumably disappeared on purpose, leaving the narcissist to wonder where his cowardly assistant had escaped to. She was a slippery devil.

Moving further into the room Naru didn't stop until he reached the couch, catching a glimpse of a figure in the corner of his eye. His gaze drifted over to the person perched daintily on the couch, staring back at him with her startling blue orbs. "Miss. Yurei."

The client nodded her head. "Shibuya." She replied sarcastically, twirling a casual finger around a strand of her silver locks. "Are you looking for Mai?" She pondered curiously, eyeing the narcissist knowingly.

Naru peered back with clouded eyes, catching the faint whiff of smoke. Strange. He thought internally, darting his gaze around for the source of the smell, sending the client a stiff nod when he found nothing.

Yurei giggled behind her hand, brushing off the imaginary dust from her skirt. "Mai ran off." She told him, glancing over her shoulder. Naru followed her gaze. "She went that way," She pointed to the right, dishing out her new friend without a blink of an eye.

"Hn." Noll grumbled quietly to himself, eyeing the dented monitor box sitting innocently on the couch. The client's stare settled on his back as he walked towards the couch before perching beside the box and pulling it into his lap for closer inspection. "...Where is Lin?" He scanned the rims and screens of the monitors in the box, flicking between them with precise yet tentative fingers.

Yurei pursed her lips. "You mean the tall Chinese man?" She pondered. Naru almost grimaced at the client's unintentional labelling. "Oh. Well, the last time I saw him he was out patrolling the gardens." She replied, noticing the way he suddenly tensed. Thinking he was worried about the older gentleman, Yurei waved a comforting hand, trying to reassure him of any worries. "I'm sure he'll be back soon! I swear, he was heading back inside." She lied, scratching her head with a sheepish grin.

But no. Noll wasn't worried. He was angry. His eyes scrutinised the tiny mark covering the corner of the equipment, tightening his grip as his eyes blazed a deep, rigid cerulean. No wonder the brunette had run.

There was a crack in the screen.

Massaging his temples from the incoming headache Noll's temper rose sporadically, growling out a spine-tingling, "Idiot," under his breath, sending out a strong wave of his power at the sight of the dented screen. Yurei flinched at the sudden dip in the atmosphere, feeling a heavy weight slice through her dull, humane senses as her body rocked with uncontrollable shivers. Not wanting to stick around Yurei bolted to her feet, mumbling about needing to be elsewhere before scurrying out the door.

Naru's eye twitched beneath his fringe as he focused on loosening his grip around the monitor clutched so tightly in his clasp. Drawing in a frigid breath the narcissist managed to pry the screen from his hands, settling it down separately from the box of miraculously unharmed monitors. Gluing his eyes to the box, Naru forced himself to take a step back before releasing a heavy sigh, pulling back his control on his aura as it fluctuated ever so slightly.

He would deal with punishments later. First he had to find the idiotic culprit, and the only way he knew how was to yell:

"MAI!"

Mai sat quietly in the dark, curling herself around her tucked up knees as she formed a tight ball, resting her head against her legs. Her heart beats rung in her ears through the silence as she leant back in the confined space, feeling the cold, grubbiness of the wooden floor beneath her. Her hazel eyes drew towards what little light there was leaking through beneath the crack in the door, illuminating the clusters of dust bunnies squished under her scuffed shoes. She hadn't bothered to find the light switch since it wasn't worth the risk of being found. She wasn't ready for that.

A shallow groan slipped past her lips, becoming swallowed in the murky darkness as it gradually drew out into a sigh. Mai's hands hovered in front of her face before dragging themselves in a downwards motion, biting her bottom lip. "So no worth it," She grumbled with a bow of her head, avoiding the temptation of turning on the light.

"-AI!" A distant voice rang out from somewhere deep in the house, startling the brunette out from her musings.

The assistant shook away her fear before running her shaking hands through her drab tresses to relieve her jitters, hoping her boss wouldn't find her just yet. Perhaps she should stay a little longer...It couldn't hurt.

Taking on her own advice, she closed her eyes.

Posting Date: 23rd December 2014

Symm: Only 2 sleeps till Christmas! I'm planning on getting another chapter up by tomorrow since I'll be busy for a few days since, well, you know, it's CHRISTMAS! Is anyone doing anything nice for the holidays? I'm staying at home this year (thankfully); spending Christmas away from home is never the same. Thanks for reading :)

Thanks for the favourite Eun Mi!

Thanks for reviewing Ishval, NaginiFay!

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