A/N: I finally got Word on my laptop and it is so much better than Notebook! Anyway Naru and Mai dominated the poll so here's a present! Sorry for the lateness too!

Disclaimer: All I own is this nice laptop and my malted milk balls! Yum~!

Pairing: Mai and Naru

Theme: Flowers

-

Mai grinned as she watered the single plant on her desk. She had convinced Naru to let her have this one luxury in the office after many months of arguing.

"Now, grow to be big and healthy, okay?" Mai smiled at the plant. She believed that talking to a plant could help it grow.

"Taniyama-san? Who are you talking to?" Lin asked, puzzled by the young girl's actions. Mai quickly turned to face him and create an excuse that would make her seem sane. The sudden movement, however, knocked the small plant off her desk and it made sudden friends with the floor.

"Oh no! Not my plant!" She refrained from yelling the string full of curses she had been thinking as she knelt to pick up the soil that was quickly staining the carpet.

"Mai, te-" Naru stopped when he saw the state of the floor. Mai slowly turned to face her fate but all Naru did was close his eyes, inhale deeply and point to a small closet. Mai, curious, stood and walked to the closet and opened it. She was confused until she saw the vacuum cleaner on the floor. She sheepishly picked it up and headed back to her plant disaster.

"Do you need any… help?" Lin offered awkwardly and Mai declined quickly.

"N-No thanks! I made this mess, I gotta clean it up!" She smiled gratefully and started the vacuum. 'So much for that vacation I was going to ask for…'

-

Mai walked to the office with a thoughtful look on her face. She entered the apartment/office with a pensive look on her face.

"Mai, what's up? Do you have a booooyfriend?" Bou-san hugged Mai and she pushed him away.

"What do you mean?" She asked, a light pink blush covering her cheeks.

"That." He pointed to her desk, which looked just as it did yesterday except for a small potted flower. A single azalea.

"What is this, a joke?" She asked picking up the pot.

"What? If someone gave me a flower, I'd be happy!" Ayako exclaimed from a couch further in the office.

"Well, yeah but an azalea means 'take care of yourself'." Mai said puzzled. The others looked at her like she was crazy.

"Does that matter?"

"Yeah, you know how I always get into trouble and stuff. Yesterday, I knocked over my potted plant. Maybe they're trying to replace my old one while warning me?" Mai mused for a moment and Ayako scoffed.

"I think you're over analyzing. Mai, you got a pretty flower from a secret admirer. There, sweet and simple." Ayako ruffled Mai's hair teasingly.

"Okay…" Mai sighed and brushed off her suspicions. She quickly went to the kitchen and took a tall cup from one of the cabinets and filled it with water. Carefully, she poured some water into the pot and placed the cup next to the pot to give it water as the day progressed.

"Mai, tea." Naru's voice startled Mai. She looked up quickly to see him leaning against his door frame, a smirk gracing his lips. Her heart sped up for a fraction of a second before Naru turned his back on her to do some work.

'Hmmm, well it was only Lin and Naru who saw my fumble with my plant so it was either one of them. I'm sure there is meaning behind that flower!' Mai absentmindedly made the tea, her hands moving the familiar motions of making Naru's drink. She relaxed against the counter as the water boiled and thought of reasons why either of them would go through such troubles of getting her a replacement plant/flower.

"Mai?! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Madoka's head popped into Mai's field of view before Mai knew the older woman was even there. She squealed and leaped back, her elbow narrowly missing the tea pot.

"Y-Yes. It's been, what? A month?" Mai smiled and took the pot off the stove and finished preparing the tea.

"A month too long! I missed you so much~!" Madoka took Mai into a motherly hug. Mai laughed and hugged her back.

"Really? I bet you missed Lin even more. How much longer until the wedding?" Mai smiled as Madoka thrust her engagement ring into her face.

"Not much! Look for the invitations soon! Oh yeah, I was going to ask you something." Madoka put a finger to her lips and tried to remember her question. Mai gave her a patient smile and took the silver tray that held Naru's tea cup on it and started towards his office door. As she walked past her azalea, Mai gave it a tiny amount of water.

"Oh that's it! Does Naru have a girlfriend? I could have sworn I saw him buying a flower this morning on the way to work or wherever." Madoka asked curiously. Mai nearly dropped her tray.

"N-No! He doesn't! At least, I don't think so…" Mai stood in the middle of the room with a far off look in her face. 'I really hope he doesn't have a girlfriend…'

"Maybe he was buying the flower for you? That's quite a pretty azalea." Madoka commented pointedly. "You know Naru only buys the best." This time, Madoka's response was a door slam.

'Madoka is going to be the death of me.' Mai glared at the floor with a bright red face. "Here's your tea, Naru. And Madoka's here." She grumpily informed her boss. Naru raised an eyebrow slightly. Mai chose to ignore him and leave his office quickly.

-

"Mai, we really need to meet your boyfriend. I think he's a total keeper." Ayako grinned as Mai rushed into the SPR office, several minutes late due to a faulty alarm clock.

"What?" Again, Mai was stupefied at Ayako's statement. But sure enough, there on her desk, carefully wrapped in clear plastic was a single, beautiful, white carnation. A blush rose to her cheeks before Mai had time to process her gift. 'A carnation symbolizes innocence… or t-true love.'

"You can't meet him." Mai said as she retrieved another tall cup to act as a makeshift vase.

"Wha- Why?" Ayako asked in astonishment.

"Because I haven't met him myself." Mai admitted, another blush creeping up her neck. Ayako laughed and left quickly when she saw Naru's door start to open.

"Mai, tea." His smirk was this time directed at the carnation, which was getting friendly with the azalea. Mai nodded her affirmative and set to work.

Several short minutes later, Mai placed the steaming cup in front of Naru.

"Mai." His voice stopped her and Mai turned quickly.

"Y-Yes?" The stutter was hard to refrain but she failed anyway.

"… Do you like flowers?" He asked never taking his eyes from the computer screen; his fingers showed no sign slowing.

"Yes…" She replied, confused.

"… I see." His reply was short and barely audible but it nearly made Mai explode.

'"I see"? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!' She wondered angrily as she stomped to her desk to work for the remainder of the day.

-

"Hello?" Mai hesitantly opened the SPR door in fear of another one of Ayako's confusing statements. She was met with silence. 'Ayako must have more important things to do than bother me for once.'

She took her small purse bag from her shoulder and, as she walked further into the office, dropped it. Her mouth followed suit as she stared at her desk. Sitting prettily on the wood surface was a huge vase filled with many types of flowers. From where she was standing Mai could see acacias, hibiscuses, gladioli, gardenias, red carnations, red chrysanthemums, and it was adorned with baby's breath.

'Acacias are for secret love; hibiscuses for delicate beauty; and gladioli for love at first sight. Gardenias are for secret love too. A red carnation means 'my heart aches for you' and a red chrysanthemum means 'I love'. What the hell is going on?!'

"Mai." Naru appeared next to the bouquet and Mai prepared herself for a punishment. "Can I talk to you in my office? And bring the flowers."

'I hope he doesn't make me get rid of them… he probably will.' Mai struggled under the weight of the flower filled vase and placed it unceremoniously on his desk.

"Do you know who sent you the flowers?" He asked and if Mai didn't know better she might have seen nervousness creep into Naru's eyes.

"No. If I did I would have defiantly thanked them. I love flowers." Mai smiled a bit hesitantly.

"To be blunt… It was me." Mai's mouth hung open again.

"What? B-But why?" She asked disbelievingly.

"A hibiscus for your delicate beauty. An acacia for my secret love for you. A gladiolus for the moment I set eyes on you, I knew liked you, however hard that may seem. A red carnation to show how tired I am of hiding my feelings… and a red chrysanthemum is rather obvious. And this is the final one." Naru held out a single red rose. The ultimate love confession.

"I-I-I don't know what to say…" Mai stuttered, tear-filled eyes starting to pour over.

"… I see." Naru lowered the rose and a flash of pain passed over his face. The pain was quickly replaced with surprise as Mai tackled him in a hug.

"I-I… I, uh I… Thank you." Mai managed to say with her relief plain on her face. "I-I love you too." She muttered turning so red, she and the rose were barely distinguishable. Naru didn't reply in words. He didn't return her hug. He barely even looked at her. He simply captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

A/N: (blushing) I think Naru's too OOC and weird but I learned a lot about flower meanings. Please go to my profile to see the website I referenced with the flower meanings.