Treelow955:- Hello, hello, we're back!
Naruisawesome:- And happy to be so, right?!
Treelow955:- Right! Thanks to all our reviewers and followers and favouriters, we're glad you're enjoying reading this as much as we are writing it!
Naruisawesome:- I know! I especially like the bit in this one where...*Treelow puts hand over Naruisawesome's mouth*
Treelow955:- Shh, spoilers!
Naruisawesome:- Oh yeah, sorry!
Treelow955 and Naruisawesome:- We own nothing but the plot! Please review!
"Sooo...What are we gonna do now?"
Naru, Mai and Lin made it back to the office. They unloaded all the equipment and now Mai and Naru are in Naru's office.
Naru and Mai were relaxing in Naru's office with some tea Mai made. Naru sighed after taking a sip of tea.
"I'm not sure Mai."
"What do you mean 'I'm not sure'?! I...I want my body back!" Mai wailed.
"As do I Mai, but it clearly isn't happening just because we want it to." Naru snapped.
"Well can't you research it or something? Or call someone to see if they can reverse it?!"
"Mai, for the last time, there's nothing we can do about this except wait it out and pray no-one else finds out!" Naru said exasperated.
"Fine." Mai grumbled, sinking further into the chair she was sitting on. "But who knows how long this could take! Weeks, months, years. Oh my god what if-"
"Mai!" Naru warned.
"Okay, okay. Well I guess we won't have to worry about school for two weeks." Mai informed.
"That guy was a jerk, he got what he deserved." Naru pouted.
"And like I told you, I don't blame you." Mai said sympathetically.
"Shame I didn't kick him in the nuggets again for good measure!" Naru smirked.
"I know he was a jerk but please don't do it again. I don't want to get suspended again or worse, expelled." Mai pleaded.
"Alright, alright, you have my word...unless he attacks me again." Naru swore solemnly. Mai rolled her eyes. Didn't she just say don't do it at all?
"Naru?" Mai spoke.
"Mm?" He replied as he sipped his tea.
"Why did Gene tell us that if we didn't sleep together, I mean...um...you know, in the same room, we'd be in danger?" Mai asked. Naru smirked slightly at Mai's description of the sleeping arrangements on the case before frowning at the question.
"I don't know Mai, but when I see him next, if I see him, I think I'll have a word in his ear about it."
Mai nodded slowly. "Alright. So, what should we do about our living arrangements?" Mai asked. "I mean, the thing is, I'm not entirely comfortable with you roaming around alone in my apartment and I don't feel comfortable roaming around your home alone either and yet that is where our respective belongings are for each other."
"Hmm, I see your point. I'm not entirely sure what to do about it Mai." Naru said defeated.
"Well...what if we move in together? Oh, but what would you say to Lin? I mean he would, no doubt, be suspicious." Mai asked bluntly.
"That's true. Hmm, this is tough, I wish this hadn't happened." Naru replied.
"Me too but like you said we can't do anything about it. I guess I could 'temporarily'," She emphasized. "stay with you. We could say something happened at my apartment and I needed a place to stay for a while. Either that or move into the office..." The last part she meant as a joke. Hopefully Naru knew.
"Technically I would be saying this, but it does sound like a good idea, the moving in with me that is." Naru acknowledged. He didn't say anything about the suggestion of them living in the office. And to that Mai was grateful. She definitely didn't want to stay at the office. There wasn't even a shower!
"Alright. Should we tell Lin or don't say anything unless he asks?" Mai inquired.
"We say nothing unless asked as it is none of his business who lives in my home." Naru informed.
"I knew you'd say that." Mai admitted. "And technically it's my home...since I'm in your body."
"Agreed, but my comment still stands." Naru said.
"So shouldn't we go ahead and get all my stuff packed and in your place?" Mai asked standing up.
"Good idea Mai. But first another round of tea I think."
Mai gave Naru a small glare before picking up his cup. "Fine, but I'd better not be making you tea all the time at your place!" She hissed while walking out Naru's office.
"Wanna bet Mai." Naru murmured. After Mai finished making Naru's tea, she marched straight back in his office and almost—practically—slammed the cup on his desk.
"Drink it." She grumbled, going back to sit in her chair.
"With pleasure." He said, sipping daintily from his cup. Mai tapped her foot trying to wait patiently for Naru to finish. She didn't really have anything to do. She was bored. Naru decided to drink slower just to wind her up. Mai's eye started to twitch. She knew what Naru was doing. She tried to calm down. 'Don't let him get to you, don't let him get to you!'
It took another fifteen long minutes for Naru to finish his tea as he preferred to look contemplatively at it and snuggle back in the chair he was sat in making Mai huff at him.
"Naru what are you doing?!"
"Enjoying my tea Mai." He replied simply.
"But you're done with it!" Mai stated.
"Am I Mai? Am I really?" He asked gesturing to the cup that was still a quarter full. Mai stared at him, went and picked up the cup and drank it while still looking at him in the eye.
"Yes, yes, you are! Now let's go before it gets too late." She walked out the office before Naru could say one word. Naru sighed and hoisted himself out of his chair to lazily follow after Mai. They finally arrived at Mai's apartment after a little predicament, meaning Mai having to actually find and finally drag Naru to the car.
"Finally! We made it no thanks to you." Mai announced.
"Hey, it's not my fault I had to readjust everything because I'm the only one out of the pair of us who can drive and you're so damn short!" Naru asserted.
"Excuse me?!" Mai screeched.
"Wow, I didn't know my voice could go that high." Naru murmured before answering Mai. "You are short! Vertically challenged, undersized, stunted...need I give you more synonyms?"
"I prefer the term fun size, but I get your point loud and clear Colossus!" Mai spat.
"What are you? A candy bar?!" Naru exaggerated.
"Maybe I am because I'm sweet. You on the other hand are a giant ogre!"
"You? Sweet? I don't think so. You obviously haven't met yourself if you think that."
"Naru you jerk! I am too! Ask anyone!" Mai fumbled with her keys. "On second thought wait until we've switched back into our own bodies..." She added.
"And why should I do that Mai?" Naru asked whilst trying not to smile. They walked into Mai's apartment.
"Because they would think that I'm still me. It'd be weird if I ask someone if I'm sweet. Duh. Plus I'm not going to be sweet with you in my body." She said the last part quietly as she entered her room. Naru heard her comment anyway.
"I do not think it would be strange to ask what others think of you and I am just as 'sweet' as you are." Naru replied.
"Ha! You sweet? How? I don't think you'd be sweet even if you were dipped in chocolate."
"Yeah? Well, you still wouldn't be sweet even if you were dipped in sugar!" Naru retorted.
"That's basically the same thing as chocolate! That's the best you could do?" Mai asked with a hand on her hip.
"My God Mai, you are so dumb! Chocolate and sugar are not the same thing. Chocolate contains sugar but is made from cocoa; sugar is made from sugar cane. How can you not know this? What the hell do they teach in schools these days?!"
"I'm pretty sure sugar is in chocolate somewhere...And I don't know what they teach cause I'm hardly there as it is!" She partly lied. She does go... "With you being tight all the time about me being on time for work, I get in trouble with my teachers!"
"Yeah, IN it but not MADE OF it. And I am not tight, there is plenty of time for you to get from your school to the office on time for work. I have timed it myself." He replied primly. Mai looked at Naru alarmed.
"Stalker! Get out of my room!"
"I am not a stalker Mai, I am your boss and I have a right to know whether I am asking the impossible, which, as it turns out, I'm not."
Mai huffed and threw some clothes in her suitcase.
"Not when my teachers make me stay after school to talk to me!"
"And like I said before Mai, that doesn't stop you from calling and letting me know." Naru said irritated.
"And as I said before they don't let me!" Mai replied getting even more annoyed. She went to her bathroom to collect her things in there.
"Well, for the next two weeks you will have no excuse for being late to work, neither of us will." Naru pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess so." She said as they re-entered her bedroom. "Listen, Naru, if we're going to be living together I don't want to be at each other's throats all the time."
"Well, neither do I Mai, but it seems to be rather inevitable. We seem to fight no matter what." Naru informed.
"Well we could at least try." Mai tried to reason with him.
"*Yawn* We can do nothing but try Mai. We can't *yawn* guarantee it'll work though." Naru replied.
"Are you getting sleepy?" Mai asked concerned.
"No, I'm yawning for no reason Mai!" He said sarcastically.
"No need to be all snippy." She put more of her things in the suitcase. Then it occurred to her why Naru was sleepy. "Hey go to sleep and maybe you'll see-" She turned around only find that he was already asleep...on her bed.
With Naru
Naru awoke to find himself on the astral plane again. 'Maybe I'll finally get some answers off that Git of a brother of mine!'
"Hey Bro, nice to see you again!" Gene said cheerily from behind him. Naru turned to face Gene and froze in shock before slamming his eyes closed.
"FOR GOD'S SAKE PUT SOME CLOTHES ON YOU MORON!" He yelled.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Gene asked as he paraded around in nothing but a bra and panties whilst still looking like Mai. "Besides, I know you've imagined Mai this exact way for ages."
"Don't be ridiculous, you idiot! Put more clothes on NOW!" Naru scolded his brother. He still had his eyes shut.
"No, I don't see why I should." Gene objected.
"You should because...do I really have to explain why?" Naru questioned. Gene smirked slightly.
"Yes, yes you do, Dear Brother!"
"Argh, I knew it, you set me up last time." Naru exclaimed angrily.
"Beg pardon? I thought we were discussing clothes." Gene said confused.
"Oh, we are going to discuss so much more than clothes, like how you are a lying rat who totally played me and Mai." Naru informed.
"I was only trying to help." Gene protested.
"Help?! That's the last thing you were doing and you know it!" Naru ranted. "You knew that case was a fake and yet you decided to give me all this phoney advice about having to sleep with Mai as 'the ghost' was dangerous. You should be ashamed of yourself."
"And you should open your eyes to what is in front of you Little Brother! I just want to see you happy..." Gene started.
"How is tricking me and Mai going to make me happy?!" Naru asked crossly.
"Noll if you would just-"
"Wait...you wouldn't happen to have something to do with me and Mai switching places, would you?" Naru questioned darkly.
"What?! No! I'm just a spirit Dude; you really think I have that kind of power?"
"Hmm, I guess you have a point on that one." Naru conceded.
"Getting you two together, sure, guilty as charged. Swapping the two of you, hilarious but no." Gene told him.
"You know who did do it though, don't you?" Naru asked with suspicion.
"Of course I do, but neither I nor they are able to help you. Also I'm not going to tell you who it is, you'll just have to find that out by yourselves." Gene enlightened. "Now, I think it's time for you to go Noll. It was nice seeing you!" With that Gene faded and Naru was tugged back into Mai's body.
Naruisawesome:- Wow, that was awesome!
Treelow955:- I loved doing that argument, that was so much fun!
Naruisawesome:- I know, I loved that one comment you made Mai say, I know where you got it from too!
Treelow955:- True, but your reference to our other fic Chocolate Naru was epic too! Hey, I think my most favourite bit was...
Naruisawesome:- ...Gene, I know, that was hilarious when you told me!
Treelow955:- I know, I'm crazy!
Naruisawesome:- So am I which is why we work so well!
Treelow955:- True! Anyway, please, please, please review! We'd love to hear from you!