A/N:- Hi all, I'm back! I'm so sorry for disappearing, life just got so busy! Anyway, as much as I would love to write a personalized message to everyone who has reviewed in my absence there are just too many wonderful comments and I would be here all day so, A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED, ALERTED, FAVORITED AND CHATTED WITH ME!
I think that covers it!
Dedication this time goes to Naruisawesome, 2takuya and Chrysanthia-Sunshine for their wonderful ideas!
Disclaimer:- I own nothing!
"Get off me you Idiot!" Naru yelled shoving Monk away from him as roughly as possible. Mai was stood to the side trying to contain her laughter at the sudden turn of events.
"Mai! Don't call people an idiot even if he is one." Ayako scolded, hitting Monk in the head with her bag for emphasis as to who shouldn't be called an idiot.
"I'll call whoever I like, whatever I like." Naru retorted angrily. Both Ayako and Monk looked shocked at the person they thought to be Mai's attitude towards them.
"Mai…" Mai growled in low warning voice whilst shaking her head at Naru. Naru seemed to get some of the message as his features settled into a scowl.
"Okay, why don't we all sit down and discuss your dream Mai before your PMS gets too out of control." She suggested. Ayako looked at the person she assumed to be Naru with shock that he would know of such a thing. Mai realized her slight mistake and quickly tried to cover her tracks before anyone got suspicious. "What? I went to school too you know and learned all about hormones and stuff." Ayako seemed to accept the vague explanation and they all went into the living room to discuss Naru's dream and the case.
Before they sat down Ayako interrupted.
"Mai, before we get started…" She said addressing Naru. "…I have some special medicine for your mood. Chocolate!" She declared proudly, brandishing a big bar of milk chocolate.
"I don't want or like…" Naru started as Ayako unwrapped some of the confectionary she was holding allowing the aroma to reach him. "…Ooh, chocolate, gimme!" Naru finished, making a grab for the chocolate then plonking himself on a sofa to devour it.
"Careful you don't make yourself sick Mai, now why not tell us all about your dream?" Monk suggested.
Minus the part about Gene in a skirt and the sleeping arrangements, Naru told them all the information he'd been given around mouthfuls of chocolate, which made him hard to understand at times. They then reached the much anticipated part of sleeping arrangements. Everyone was fairly confident of who was sharing which room though as it was like an unwritten rule that Naru and Lin always shared and the females were to be in the same room too. It shocked everyone when Mai took out a piece of paper Naru had secretly handed her and began to read the names out for room assignments.
"Lin, you, John and Mo…Takigawa will be sharing a room, Ayako you are on your own and Mai and I will be sharing a room." Mai announced.
"No you will not!" Monk protested vehemently to the last arrangement.
"Yes, we will and I will not hear of any arguments." Mai insisted, secretly cheering inside.
"Why, so you can take advantage of our sweet, innocent Mai?!" Ayako demanded, joining in on the heated discussion.
"No, it's actually because…Mai tell them the reason." Mai said, trying to turn the conversation over to Naru, master of arguing points.
"Well, Naru, it's because there are extenuating circumstances that demand we share a room which I am not at liberty to discuss." Naru informed, shutting the discussion topic down permanently. Monk and Ayako grudgingly let the subject go whilst scowling and shaking their heads all the while.
"Now that's sorted, Miss…erm…Matazuki and Takigawa, I would like you to do a walkthrough and set up equipment." Mai declared, screwing up on Ayako's last name as she couldn't remember it.
"What did you just call me? After all this time I would at least expect you to get my name right." Ayako said, insulted at the person she believed to be Naru's mistake. Mai tried to think of something to get her out of this and also maintain Naru's persona.
"Um…um…does it matter what I call you? You are here to work not…erm…socialize." Mai said weakly. Ayako just huffed and dragged Monk out of the room with her to complete the task they'd been assigned. "John, Lin, I'd like you two to set up the monitors and then watch them." She continued. As soon as everyone was working she flopped onto the sofa next to Naru.
"Thank goodness that's over with, being you is tough." Mai said with a sigh.
"I…on't…eel…fell." Naru moaned around another mouthful of chocolate. "I…ink…am…onna…ee…zick." He said whilst swallowing.
"Oh good grief! Why did you have to eat the entire bar? Of course you're going to be sick you Idiot! Come on; let's get you upstairs before you ruin the furnishings." Mai sighed.
"I don't feel so good. Why does chocolate have to taste so nice?!" Naru whimpered.
"Because it's supposed to be a treat Naru, you're not supposed to eat it in the quantities you just have." Mai grumbled whilst guiding Naru to the bathroom. "Stay in here until I return, if you're going to be sick do so in the toilet, I'll be right back." She instructed.
Naru flopped down next to the toilet wishing he hadn't eaten so much chocolate. He hated the stuff so why did he feel so compelled to eat so much of it? He shook his head and quickly regretted it as it increased the sick feeling in his stomach. 'Girls! I don't think I'll ever understand them.' He complained mentally.
"Okay Naru, I'm back!" Mai announced as she breezed back through the bathroom door. She was carrying a steaming mug of something plus a toothbrush and toothpaste and a washcloth. "Drink this, it should help." She ordered, thrusting the mug at him.
"What is it?" He asked, unsure about taking the mug.
"It's a special blend of peppermint and ginger tea to settle your stomach." She replied. She tried to hand him the mug again, but he must have smelt what was in it as he immediately emptied the contents of his stomach in the toilet beside him. He groaned and let his head flop onto his hands then started crying.
"Naru, it's okay, you just had too much chocolate, don't cry." Mai soothed as she wetted the washcloth in the sink then knelt beside him and hugged him whilst gently dabbing his face with the cool cloth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Naru sobbed, clinging to Mai's shirt as she continued to soothe him.
"It's okay, just drink this, you'll be fine." Mai said. Naru managed to drink the tea between hiccupping sobs and then fell asleep on Mai as he was exhausted. 'Okay, now what do I do?! I'm stuck on a bathroom floor with Naru asleep and clinging to me. Hang on; if I'm male now, shouldn't I be strong enough to lift him?! Well, I guess there's only one way to find out.' Mai braced herself and attempted to lift the now sleeping Naru. He was surprisingly lighter than she thought he'd be, or her body was to be exact. She strode down the hall to the room she and Naru were to share and gently placed him on a bed, carefully detangling his fingers from her shirt without waking him. She wandered back downstairs to where the others were. 'I wonder if I'm this troublesome to Naru when I do things I know I shouldn't. No wonder he always has such a short fuse if I am.'
"Ah, you're back. We've done as you asked and we didn't sense anything as we went around setting up the equipment, where's Mai?" Monk said as she entered the room that was to be their base.
"She had too much chocolate and is resting." Mai replied before seating herself on a sofa and wondering what she should do next.
A couple of hours later Naru's awakening was punctuated by his loud girly scream. Mai had just finished asking Mrs Shinjo if the team could have soup for dinner as she knew Naru would need something easy to digest and she didn't want him to feel left out because of his stupidity. 'Good grief, do I really scream as loud as that?!' She thought as she raced to the bedroom she'd left Naru in. When she got there Naru was stood in a corner and he pointed at the wall when he noticed her presence.
On the wall the words 'YOU ARE NEXT!' were painted in ketchup.
"Who or what did this?" Mai asked. Naru shrugged.
"I don't know, when I woke up it was there above my bed." He explained.
"You do know this is ketchup right?" Mai continued.
"Yeah, I know that now, but I didn't when I woke up." He explained.
"I guess that explains the screaming." She muttered. "Come on, dinner will be ready soon. I'll get a cloth to wipe the wall down." Naru left Mai to wiping down the wall and entered the base.
"MAI!" Monk and Ayako cried, making their way over to hug Naru only this time Naru stepped out of the way making them hug each other instead.
"Get off me you Dirty Old Man!" Ayako yelled.
"Like I wanted to hug you in the first place you Old Hag!" Monk retorted. John choked back a burst of laughter as they tried to disentangle themselves from each other. Mai soon entered the base as Mrs Shinjo announced dinner was ready.
After dinner everyone quietly did their own thing from reading to watching the monitors until Mai announced it was bedtime for anyone who wished to go. Surprisingly Naru decided to turn in with Mai along with Monk and Ayako. John decided to stay and keep watch over the monitors with Lin.
Mai and Naru made their way to their room together and sat on their respective beds.
"Okay, how's this gonna work?" Mai asked after letting out a sigh.
"Well, we both know what our bodies look like so there shouldn't be too much embarrassment right?" Naru commented.
"I guess." Mai said wistfully.
"Alright then. You get out the pyjamas I am to wear and I will get your night attire out for you to wear." Naru reasoned, getting up and going to the go bag he'd packed for Mai's use. Mai did the same for Naru and they returned and handed the clothes to each other.
"Uh…Mai, what the heck are these?" Naru asked holding up the vest top and shorts Mai had given him.
"Summer pyjamas." Mai replied simply. Naru cocked an eyebrow in an expression that clearly said 'where are the rest of them?' whilst looking disdainfully at the material he was holding.
"Seriously Naru, I swear you belong in a nunnery." She said with exasperation whilst unfolding the sweats that Naru had given her. "Um…Naru, is there a specific reason I must go around half naked?" She asked.
"You were saying about me belonging in a nunnery?! Those are my summer pyjamas Mai, get used to them." Naru stated.
"I am not going to bed half naked." Mai protested.
"Yeah, well feel lucky I packed those because most often in summer I sleep nude!" Naru declared.
"Sweat pants, great, wonderful, awesome. Lucky me!" Mai expressed, trying and failing to get the image of a nude Naru out of her head.
"Come on, let's just get to sleep." Naru grumbled, stripping and dressing himself in Mai's pyjamas in record time. When Mai too was dressed for bed they each slipped into their own bed and switched out the lamps beside them.
A/N:- So, how was it?! I have to admit I particularly loved one of Naru's statements at the end, I'm sure you all can guess which one! That's right, the one designed for fangirls everywhere!
Please, please, please review! Every comment means the world to me! Until next time, see ya!