A/N: Sorry for the confusion it may have caused, but I made a pretty big mistake. I do a shit ton of editing and it seems I'd forgotten to rewrite the parts that explain the timeline. I didn't realize it after re-reading so many times because I'd already established everything in my head. I've updated chapter 1 to make it clearer now, but to those of you who'd rather just move on, I will explain here. Naru and Lin left a few days after finding Gene's body, leaving SPR in Madoka's care. They stay in England for about a year while Naru works on a huge research project for himself (writing a compendium of ghost hunting methodologies). Martin and Luella realize that he's becoming too consumed with the project and recommends he goes back to Japan. Two months after the suggestion, Naru and Lin get back to Japan and they start SPR again. Two months later, Mai goes to Okinawa for her school trip. This makes Mai around 18 years old, while Naru is 19.

I hope that clarifies! Many thanks to the reviewer "Maria", who pointed it out to me!

Chapter 3

As he finished washing up the last bowl, Naru glanced up at the clock and sighed inaudibly. He turned the faucet off and began drying the pots and plates with the kitchen towel, gently placing them on the rack to his right to air dry some more overnight. Taking two pumps of whatever little was left of his hand soap, he rubbed his hands meticulously and dried them off with a different clean towel before making his way towards the sofa where Mai had ran off to ten minutes ago. He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at her childishness as he recalled their small fight, if it could be called that.

Right after they had finished their dinner, Mai stood up and stacked their used plates and was about to head over to the sink when he swiftly took them off her delicate hands and teased, "I'll do it. You are still a guest, after all, even if it's just you." As he had expected, this remark elicited a somewhat angry and embarrassed retort from her before she stomped away, muttering something about how he was such a jerk and there was no need for him to be mean to her that way. He hadn't heard a peep from her since then.

As he neared, he saw that she was curled up and dozing off completely in her usual way, her arm supporting her head as it rested on the sofa's armrest. It was always very difficult to rouse her during these times. He knelt down next to her and tried calling out her name, gently shaking her shoulder but to no avail. "Of course she is tired. She's had no time to rest after traveling," he thought to himself and watched a stray strand of hair fall across her serene face. He gently brushed it behind her ears and let his hand linger. A powerful urge suddenly gnawed at his chest and he felt himself leaning forward, closer and closer, before he snapped out of it and pulled back. How stupid was he again that he let himself get taken in by this girl?

He continued calling her name and shaking her by the shoulders; eventually his voice reached her and she woke up with a start and searched her surroundings, blinking in confusion. Naru allowed her some time to gather her wits before continuing, "You had dozed off while I was cleaning up. It's gotten very late."

She looked at the clock and groaned. "Ah... It's nine o'clock already? I should really get going..." Mai jumped up and stretched, her joints popping from staying in one position for too long and tried to stifle another yawn.

"You're tired from the trip. Are you sure you're able to travel in your state?"

"I'll be fine." She reached behind the sofa and grabbed her luggage (a huge backpack that was in danger of bursting out) then made her way toward the front door. As she put on her shoes she explained, "The train station is near the office so that's about twenty minutes away from here, then the train ride is another fifteen, and then the walk to my apartment is about... ten minutes or so. I'll be back home before midnight."

Without thinking, he had offered, "Why don't you just stay for the night?" The words lingered in the air uncomfortably for a few seconds, but neither he nor she was able to say something to ease the tension. He noticed that Mai was looking at him in a daze, looking very red and panicked. Her shoes were already on and her hand was already on the door handle, which she involuntarily gripped tightly.

"I-I couldn't possibly over stay! That would be troublesome to you..."

The extent of his stupidity dawned on him, but he fought to keep a straight face and managed to say evenly, "I understand. Naturally the offer would make you uncomfortable. I apologize."

She shook her head and exclaimed, "No, please! That's not... That wasn't the problem. I just didn't want to cause trouble for you. I'll be fine heading back on my own."

"Then let me at least walk you back."

She hesitated but eventually relented. "Okay, then to the train only..."

As Naru closed the door to his apartment and turned the keys, he was heavily internalizing the annoyance he felt toward himself for feeling disappointed, but he prided himself in having complete mastery over his emotions so Mai was none the wiser. They exited his building and walked side by side, with neither one saying a word for the entire ten minutes until they reached the grocery store they went to earlier. The office was only a little bit further. Suddenly Mai yelled out, "Oh no!" Naru looked over and saw her rummaging through her backpack and repeatedly patting her pockets, muttering, "Oh no, no."

"What's wrong?"

Mai took a deep breath and bit her lip. She turned to him slowly and with the biggest sheepish grin she could muster, told him, "I think I left my phone in your apartment. I had pulled it out to check my message while you were cleaning up..."

"You can come back to pick it up tomorrow since you're coming by anyway."

"Well," she drawled, "my train pass is there, so I won't be able to take the train this way." Naru closed his eyes, half annoyed. Really, why is she such a klutz and how, honestly, could he have been taken in by this girl? He just couldn't understand it.

He exhaled sharply, turned on his heels, and started walking back the way they came from. "Well there's no helping it. We're going back then." He heard Mai groan behind him before following his footsteps, defeated.

They were inside the apartment once again. Mai found her phone hidden in the gap between the couch and repeated her apologies but was cut short when she yawned. Feeling a bit impatient, Naru leaned back on the wall and all but ordered her to stay the night.

"E-Eh? But I can't..."

"I have a spare room. You have your luggage and therefore you have spare clothes and bathroom necessities. It's late and I don't feel up to stepping outside again. You will be coming by tomorrow anyway, so stay." He hadn't meant to make it sound so... commanding. Regretting losing his temper, he met her eyes and continued, "I'd rather not have you travel on your own this late at night; it's not safe."

He watched her as she slowly lowered her bag down and ponder over his offer. When she yawned once again, she laughed uncomfortably and resigned that she was tired after all and that maybe it was wise to listen to him. He only smirked at this and said, "Of course I'm right." Unable to fight back anymore, she went up to him and followed his lead as he walked further inside the spacious apartment, passing through the narrow hallway that separated the living room and kitchen from the bedrooms. Naru opened the door to the right and said, "You can stay in this spare room."

He felt Mai trying to look over his shoulder so he moved out of the way and gestured for her to step in. It was a decent sized room, about six-tatami mats, and although its walls were bare there was a comfortable looking bed and a work table. She looked at him questioningly. "Why do you have a prepared spare room? Wouldn't you usually just use this as a storage if you were living by yourself? Were you expecting someone to come live with you?"

"Madoka. Sometimes she likes to stay over when she's in the area. She set it up once and I just left it alone." Her face turned a curious shade of crimson. No doubt something strange was going through her mind at the moment, but he wasn't about to entertain them. "This door to the left is the bathroom. We'll have to share it for the night, so if you wanted to freshen up before you sleep, you can go ahead and use it first."

"Then the other room next door to mine-is that your bedroom?"

He opened the door and allowed her a little peek. His room was tidy and pretty barren. There was his bed, also another work table with his laptop and a neat stack of papers, and a small bookshelf with his more important reference books. "It is."

She blushed again. Naru was struck by the thought that she was like a chameleon that only knew how to transform into different shades of red. "Is your bedroom fine? Do you require anything?" he asked.

Mai shook her head. "No, it's perfect. I will just brush my teeth and go straight to sleep. I guess I am very tired after all." Their eyes met and he found himself unable to look away from her gaze. Eventually she broke the contact and practically ran to the bathroom with her bag and closed the door. Naru looked down and walked toward his room, closing the door behind him.

"Why have I done this?" he mentally asked himself. He walked to his closet and began unbuttoning his shirt, recalling the few times he spent alone with Mai during their cases last year and how he would shamelessly take advantage of the situation. Whenever possible he would make her go with him while gathering information, when Lin or Hara-san might have sufficed. There was that time during the Kasai case where the two of them often found themselves alone and at every opportunity he could, he would grab her hand or pull her body close behind him. Or that time at Ryokuryou High when he threw his body on top of her in order to protect her from the collapsed ceiling. Granted those were tough situations and he needed to protect her, but that much body contact was completely unnecessary. Why had his body craved the contact? He slipped into his pajamas.

Of course deep down he understood himself, understood the reason for why he did all that. There was an addictive electrifying feeling whenever he brushed against her skin and sometimes he would wonder what else was in store if things progressed further, but he would always quickly quench the thought and tried to keep a professional air between them. But it was difficult. Especially now that she was going to be sleeping in the next room. "Why have I done this?"

He heard her exit the bathroom and felt her hovering outside his door. Thinking that she needed something, he opened it was surprised when he saw her flushed face, her long hair parted in the back and draped over both sides of her chest. She was wearing a modest nightdress, the tiny spaghetti straps teasing the allure of her petite, bare shoulders. During the Urado case a year ago he had entered her bedroom and saw her in kiddy pajamas. Now realization fully struck him about just how much time he had spent apart from her. "Yes?" was all he could say, and although he was sure his voice sounded steady, he couldn't tell if his face was betraying any emotion.

"Sorry... I just wanted to say goodnight..." She hid her nervousness behind her laughter.

"Mm. Goodnight." He nodded to her and headed for the bathroom where he would wash his face and take a deep, calming breath.

The next morning he woke up at his usual hour. Being an Englishman, Naru was used to taking his early morning shower before getting started with his day. He passed by her closed door and wondered what time his assistant usually got up, and made his way toward the kitchen. He couldn't cook, but he could at least pull off making toast and jam. Thinking that she most likely wouldn't be up until hours later, he ate his portion and cleaned up, setting the extra food aside with a mind to prepare it when she was ready.

After moving his laptop and papers from the bedroom into his living room (he figured it would be quite rude to keep himself locked up while he had a guest over), Naru opened up the unfinished Word file he was currently working on and thumbed through the correct page on his black notebook, reading it through and contemplated on the details. In the taskbar below, the Word file for his main research project was open, though he had not the chance to update it for a few days. "I've had way too much distractions lately," he thought wryly before clearing his throat and began typing up a report for the new case.

November 6

Client: Sugiyama, Ichiro (realtor)

Summary of complaint:

-Trouble selling a large, old property in Kitaibaraki. Three different buyers had re-sold the house in the span of 5 years.

-First owner lasted 3 years but would call to consult whether it was possible to re-sell the house back to the market as soon as possible. In the last 15 months their calls increased in frequency until they decided to take a loss and leave even without a locked-in buyer.

-Second owner lasted 1 year with similar complaints.

-Latest owner only lasted 5 months in the house. Currently taking a major loss as owner left the property without even signing papers. The man who bought the house was hospitalized due to severe injuries (man's left arm un-salvageable and was amputated) but no sign of home intruder, leaving the sister as prime suspect. After release from hospital man deemed mentally unstable and checked into nearby mental institution. Sister put in detention, but as no evidence surfaced, was released and is currently laying low at nearby hotel.

He tapped his finger lightly on his keypad. "A very violent case..."

"What is?"

He snapped his head up and saw that Mai had already washed up and changed into a fresh set of clothes. He was so engrossed in this new case that he didn't even hear anything else. He shifted his position to make room for her since had been taking up the entire sofa, sitting sideways with his legs crossed and his laptop on his lap. She sat down next to him.

"Are you going over the details of our new case?"

"Yes. I need to prepare questions for Monday so we have as much detail as possible before heading in a potentially dangerous situation."

"Hmm."

Her silence surprised him. "You're not going to bother me with questions?" Her laughter ringed in his ears.

"No, I know you'll just tell me to wait until Monday anyway."

She let him finish up the rest of his report in silence. After a few minutes, Naru closed his laptop and placed it on the kotatsu, feeling Mai's eyes on him the entire time. "At least that's one habit she hasn't shed," he mused, then aloud asked, "Is there something you need?"

"No... I was just thinking how strange it feels to wake up and spend the early morning alone with you." Naru didn't say it, but he felt the same way. Although he wouldn't call it so much strange as it was nice. He heard her stomach grumble loudly. "Oh... heh, well that and I was wondering if you have any breakfast food..."

He smiled and led her to the kitchen to amaze her with his toast preparation skills.