Mai had dreamed, she knew she did, but when her consciousness surfaced in the waking world the only thing she could recall was the sound of the blood pouring down the stairs in Lydia's wake as she sprinted like a gazelle through the museum. It unsettled her and sent a shudder through her body while she lay curled beneath the blankets against Oliver. At some point in the night, she had wrapped her legs around one of his and he had in turn wrapped an arm around her waist. They were thoroughly pretzeled together in their sleep and the realization made her bury a smirk in her pillow and nestle back against him, causing him to tighten his hold on her. It was unusual, to say the least, anyone she had ever been with had eventually pulled away in the night to sleep on their own side of the bed. Very rarely could she remember waking in the arms of someone else except for when it came to Oliver Davis. He was a cuddler. And wasn't that just adorable?

She recalled the events of last night with a dusting of pink across her cheeks. It had been pretty spectacular considering she was certain Oliver Davis had never been with anyone else in his entire life. He physically couldn't. She had found herself pulling strands of energy from him on several occasions throughout the night. He was unable to control it while in such a distracted state. It didn't seem fair to him in the least and for a moment she allowed sorrow to bubble forth, recognizing all that he had been forced to give up in order to exist within the world without harming another. If he had ever even tried to be intimate with another she doubted it had ended well.

She reached down for his hand and pulled it up to her chin, tucking it below and wrapping her own around it. She quieted her mind, hoping to fall back asleep and get a few minutes of dreamless rest before it was time to get up and get ready for the day. Clearly, she hadn't gotten the rest she had anticipated. But the memory of last night's activities sent her insides thrilling and she tightened her legs around his and in response the fingers tucked under her chin reached out to ghost across her throat. His lips caressed the spot on her neck just below her ear. Her breath hitched.

The early morning light was streaming in through the large bay window when her eyes opened. She was a little disappointed to see that it was still just as grey and wet as it had been the day before. But not even the weather dared to encroach on the pocket of comfort and pleasure they had built for themselves. She twisted in his arms to face him and pull his lips into a kiss that was just as hungry as he was. She was still marveling over the feeling of him bowed over her, the way he trailed a hand down her side and over her hip as if he were appreciating a work of art. It was intoxicating.

And she could hear her phone vibrating in her bag, tossed onto the bench the night before, warning of an incoming call.

"Oliver," she mumbled, pulling back with a disappointed sigh. But Oliver only hummed in response and settled his lips against her throat, tongue laving against her pulse point despite her wishes to answer the call. She drew in a sharp breath at the sensation and bit her lip, her hand reaching up to bury her fingers in his hair, yearning for him to continue just as strongly. The phantom touch of his thumb across her breast sent her arching into him and he caught her thigh in anticipation, hiking it up to his hip with a breathy sigh through his nose. "Oliver," she tried again but her voice quavered under his attention.

The bed was so soft and cozy beneath her, the comforter thick and heavy enough to keep out the early morning chill, and Oliver practically radiated heat. He smelled warm and sleepy and maybe even a little bit like the rosebud and hibiscus oils she had used last night in her bath and it made things all the more difficult. For only a moment she allowed herself to think this was what she wanted for the rest of her life, to wake up next to him, limbs thoroughly pretzeled together, trading kisses in the quiet.

And then Oliver's phone rang from where he had set it on the nightstand around the same time he had worked his belt off in the night.

Oliver froze for just a fraction of a second before he pulled his mouth away from her throat with a murmured "That's unfortunate," in her ear. It sent goosebumps racing across her skin even as he pushed himself up and reached out for the phone with a sigh. The immediate cold that assaulted her was almost insulting and she reached to pull a bit of the comforter that he had unintentionally taken with him back. Even while he answered his phone, sitting back on his heels on the bed, his knee still rested between her thighs and she fought back a blush that he didn't even bother to notice.

"Lin," he greeted dispassionately, turning his gaze out the window and toward the museum thoughtlessly.

Mai couldn't make out what Lin said in response but she watched as Oliver's eyes lowered to the floor and his bare shoulders grew tense under the weight of whatever news Lin had dropped on him. Mai wished she could move to get her own phone just to check because she doubted Lin would have called her first if he had been in search of Oliver. It must have been one of the boys, or Ayako, back at base that had reached out to her regarding the same news.

"He's compromised then," Oliver cut through the distant muffled voice of Lin, "Send him home."

The call came to an end and Oliver tossed the phone onto the bed a few feet away with another heavier sigh. His eyes trailed back over to her and the tension in his shoulders melted away, if only partially, before he fell forward and braced his hands against the bed on either side of her. His dark hair fell around his face, framing it, and drew her gaze to his blue eyes in the dim morning light.

"What happened?" she asked hesitantly, worrying her lip while one of her hands reached out to wrap around his wrist thoughtlessly, yearning for contact.

"Lin found Sam in a catatonic state this morning in the break room," Oliver explained impassively. "He suffered some sort of break after a night terror, Lin believes, so he'll be taken back to the office and my mother will see to him. If he needs a hospital she'll organize his care."

Mai lifted a hand to her stomach as it twisted anxiously upon hearing the news. Whatever they were dealing with must have gotten to Sam but how could it have managed to work its way around Ayako's charms? Her heart twinged painfully in her chest at the mere memory and she wondered if she had been compromised herself already. Even the thought of the level of fear she had experienced thus far was enough to send an electric thrill of terror through her nervous system. She hadn't been so affected by her fear since she was a teenager thrust into the world of the paranormal for the first time. When the safety of knowing that those ghost stories she so enjoyed were just stories had been utterly obliterated by reality. She had nearly lost her life on several occasions and likely would have if Oliver hadn't been there for the majority of it all.

The feeling of a hand working its way beneath her own brought her back down to Earth and she returned her wandering gaze to his. His fingers slid up her stomach and settled just beneath her sternum, feeling the panicked thrum of her heart fluttering against his touch.

"It'll be alright, Mai," he murmured, lips just a hairs breath from her own, eyes lowered at half mast. His hand remained even as she grudgingly accepted the kiss and felt the writhing of her insides still. It seemed he enjoyed feeling the effects he had on her heart rate as it slowed for a moment and then picked back up again for very different reasons.

"But what about-," she tried to say when he pulled away to return to his work at her throat.

"I think I'll allow myself to deal with it later," he replied just below her ear. Sam would have long since left the museum by the time they got ready and headed over so there was very little either of them being present would accomplish other than to get an early start to their day and Oliver was of the opinion that such a thing was very low on either of their lists. Besides, his mind still lingered on the cold and impractical manner in which the man had disregarded Mai, right in front of her, while inquiring about her abilities.

"That's very out of character for you," Mai muttered despite the pleasure she felt replacing the panic. The Naru she remembered would have gone racing off to investigate and at least verify that Sam was alright before continuing the case. She supposed age and experience might have mellowed such impulses but to continue with her in bed seemed a bit of a stretch. He was still a workaholic after all.

"There are many things about this situation that are out of character," he countered coolly.

It couldn't have been later than 6 AM, Mai knew, but there was still a part of her that worried regardless of their intimacy. Their situation was a little unique, she'd give him that, considering he had never in his life had the opportunity to be so close to another let alone feel such pleasure. She soothed a wave of energy even as the thought crossed her mind and for a moment he shuddered over top of her before he lifted her thigh to his hip once more and reclaimed her lips with his own.

Despite Oliver's decree that they deal with the issue of Sam at a later time, he was still showered and dressed an hour later. His hair was still damp while he buttoned his sleeves, standing like a dark pillar against the morning light that spilled in through the bay window. The gauzy white curtains, hung for privacy when one required softened the entire room that was otherwise packed with bold colors and opulent patterns. Oliver paid no notice to this while he buckled his watch around his wrist but Mai did. She stood leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom with her arms crossed and her gaze locked on his figure. She had just stepped out of the shower after him and had wrapped a towel around herself before coming to a halt to watch. There was just something so utterly domestic and alien about the scene that both inspired warmth within her chest and excitement in her stomach. He gave her a lot of conflicted feelings, that one.

"You could take a picture," he mused aloud while checking the time.

Mai hummed, a smirk tugging at her lips, "Some moments should be cherished without such conveniences."

Oliver shot her a look over his shoulder and she knew her comment had won her the battle. Not only had it been a rare moment of quick wit on her part but it had also been layered with enough genuine affection that he could not bring himself to respond lest he make a fool of himself. He was still learning this intimate and vulnerable side of himself that he had never dared to acknowledge in the past. Especially not with Toby who could handle nothing of his emotions until recently.

Satisfied with herself, she padded back into the bathroom to blow dry her hair. The sound and warmth were more than enough to lull her into a complacent state when he followed in after her wake several minutes later, fully dressed and ready for the day. It had only taken him thirty minutes in total to prepare himself and she was a little jealous. It miffed her to know she was contributing to the stereotype that women took longer to get ready but she supposed she did have much more to deal with. She drew the round brush through her hair at a slow and patient pace even as Oliver gripped her waist and buried his nose behind her ear on her other side. She scoffed in bemusement, pulling the hairdryer away and flicking it off with a brow quirked.

"I noticed you brought your own change of clothes this time," she teased in hopes of warding him off. "Trying to avoid the walk of shame?"

"I would never feel ashamed," he murmured in reply.

Mai felt her cheeks heat in embarrassed gratitude before she snorted, "Since when were you so smooth?"

Oliver only smirked and pushed her forward until he could brace his hands against the counter and Mai was forced to do the same unless she wanted to faceplant into the sink. She was very much reminded of a cat butting its head against the person it loved.

But it was far too earlier to even consider such words.

And she needed to finish getting ready unless they wanted to be late for the morning meeting and recap, face even more ridicule from their peers that she suspected was already well on its way, and miss out on breakfast. She had known that he was someone who had been barred from physical contact for the majority of his life for a multitude of reasons so she had known that once that bag had been opened he would come back for more. But she hadn't expected the extent to which he craved contact with her. She was grateful he at least had the decency to refrain from doing so in public settings. Well, she internally mused, he had. She suspected his behavior might change now.

"Would you do me a favor, Oliver?" she asked as pleasantly as she could manage.

His gaze met hers in the mirror and he hummed in response.

"Would you get me a coffee from downstairs?" she asked hopefully.

She had the pleasure of watching his usually impassive face fall truly flat.

"If you must get rid of me," he replied knowingly and pushed himself away with a sigh.

"I appreciate you," she called back over her shoulder to his retreating figure. There was no reply, although she hadn't expected one. The blow dryer started up once more and she turned her eyes back to the mirror with a smile. For a moment she allowed herself to revel in what all had happened in the past twelve hours. She had gotten the chance to see a side of Oliver Davis that no one else had but rather than pride and triumph, she felt this fluttering awe, fragile as it was, settle behind her ribcage. It was comparable to holding a newborn for the first time or catching sight of an endangered animal, once thought to be extinct. This humbling wonder filled her up with warmth and the need to do something. And that something, she realized, how been to make sure he knew he was loved and could love.

Had this been the overall goal of her intuition? Had Oliver's teasing whisper at dinner all those nights ago been closer to the truth than he had realized? The worry wore away at the edges of her warmth but she bit her lip and set the dryer on the counter to run her finger through her hair. Was it such a bad thing if it was?

Oliver Davis could be cruel with his words and actions, she knew this firsthand, but he was learning. She saw a vast difference between the teenager she had met ten years ago and the man she knew now. Toby, no doubt, had a large hand to play in his maturity. Since they had reunited he had done his best to dance around her, to apologize when he felt it was necessary, to seek her out to correct any notions that were wrong. She had seen him at his most vulnerable and yet, he had not run from her as he would have when they were younger. She also knew that he was capable of incredible kindness. It was rare for others to see but Oliver did much in the background that went unnoticed. Not to mention he was surprisingly great in bed. She had never felt as cared for and valued as she had last night and that morning. It was another fragile thing that threatened to cause tears if she delved too far down that line of thinking. Mai was no virgin and she had dated other men over the past decade and none of them had been all too gentle. They hadn't been particularly cruel, either, just uncaring.

She lifted her hands to her face as the realization of what exactly she had done dawned on her. There was no turning back now. She had to recognize that. Not only were they grown adults but Oliver also had a child, whom she loved and who loved her in return, and they both needed to be treated with care. Oliver Davis could never be relegated to something as simple as a one-night stand or a fling. She needed to stop running from her own emotions. It was frightening, her heart pounded in her chest, but it was also thrilling.

She breathed out a steadying breath and turned her attention to the slim collection of makeup she had spread out on the counter. She had no plans on doing herself up but there were definitely some serious dark circles hanging from under her eyes that needed to go. It didn't matter how magical the sex had been, she still didn't sleep, dammit. If he had planned on distracting her from her worries regarding the case then he could count it a success for all she cared but now reality was crashing back into her with a vengeance. She had a full day of work ahead of her and she planned on tackling the case with all she had regardless of her fear.

She needed to see it. She would take to the astral plane tonight and hunt it down, allow herself to wade out into the waters, and let it carry her to her target.

Even now, if she cast her senses out she could feel the tide tugging at her. It threatened to pull her consciousness away like the sand beneath your feet, washing away beneath you as the waves pulled out. It was such a gentle thing, to let go and step out onto the astral plane.

"Mai."

She blinked and there was a mascara wand in her hand, one eye was already done, and an Oliver Davis at her side. He had set the to-go cup down before her and called her name when he noticed her absent expression, her hands moving on autopilot while she worked to make herself look a little more put together. She quickly finished off the rest of her lashes before shoving the makeup away from her with a sigh.

"Thank you," she mumbled, lifting the coffee from the counter to scent the warm bitter drink with relief. Just the smell helped to perk her brain up.

"The others are preparing to leave," he informed her quietly, sensing she wasn't quite steady at the moment. "If you need more time I can take you over," he offered. He had driven over separately from them because, in truth, he had not intended to spend the night with her. He had planned on apologizing to her on behalf of his son and then, depending on how he felt, he would have returned to the museum or retreated to one of the other rooms if he had felt tired enough. But then he recalled a certain conversation with a certain Monk and he had dared, for just a moment, to take action for himself. The resulting outcome had certainly been a pleasing one.

"No," she assured him with a shake of her head, "I'll go with them. Lord knows we're already never going to hear the end of it."

"My team wouldn't dare," he assured her with a note of teasing challenge while he leaned up against the counter with arms crossed.

Mai sent him a look of consternation and chuckled, "Lin most certainly would, and don't forget that they were both your team at one point."

Oliver scoffed but turned to analyze the jacuzzi tub across the bathroom, "SPR was a group collected by happenstance, and as Monk mentioned, I never intended on doing serious work."

Mai rolled her eyes while inspecting her makeup. "I think we managed to do more serious work one year in Japan than you've managed here in ten," she challenged as she nudged her lashes up, attempting to work a bit more volume out of the drying mascara, "And I think your happenstance team was exactly what you needed at the time." Loud, boisterous, loyal. A distraction and a comfort. Something to fill the silence inside his own mind now lacking the psychic connection that once took up roost there. All of these things went unsaid but Oliver was no fool.

Mai glanced over at him, noting the heavy silence that had swamped the room before she reached out to grip his arm. "And that's okay," she assured him resolutely, "It's what you're supposed to do. It's what friends are for."

"And look how I repaid that friendship," he muttered.

Mai heaved a sigh and pushed away from the mirror to stuff her makeup bag back into the larger bag that she had brought into the bathroom with her. It wasn't because she was frustrated with him, not in the least, but rather it was because she knew these were hefty feelings that weighed on him constantly now that they were all together again. It was almost as bad as Toby's problem. There was no easy way to surmount it, he was just going to have to work through the emotions on his own, but she could do her best to reassure him.

"The definition of the word 'Friend' is not a person that someone talks to every day," she began haltingly, attempting to put her own thoughts and feelings into words, "If I died tomorrow, Monk would still call me his friend. If I somehow managed to survive a plane crash and was marooned on an island where I spent the rest of my days cut off from society, we would all still be friends. Back in the day when people made friends through their travels, they didn't stop considering them as friends when they returned home to the other side of the globe with no real way to communicate with them. Sure, I suppose they could send letters but one letter could easily get lost at sea."

She lost her trail of thought somewhere after that and she tossed her hands up in a shrug, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that our friendship was never contingent on you repaying it or contacting us within a certain amount of time. It hurt when we never heard back from you, but we would have always come if you called. I would have…"

And there was that look again. The one that broke her heart every time she saw it. It was equal parts numb and bitter, a look that expected the world to fail him, too jaded to even dare to hope. He doubted her words and it stung but it would be alright. In time he would grow to understand. He could think it a fairytale for now but eventually, he would see the truth for what it was. She stepped forward in spite of that look and wrapped her arms around him, heedless of the fact that she was still only wearing a towel, because he had readily opened his arms to accept her.