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"It's hopeless..." She mumbled.

"What's hopeless?" Naru asked as he entered the kitchen. Mai stiffened and looked towards Naru. "What?" He prompted.

"N-Nothing..." She lied as she looked away.

"Mai?" He questioned.

"Y-Yes?"

"Something is wrong now tell me what it is." Mai bit her lip. Should she tell him what she had been thinking about and risk him turning her down again or should she just keep quiet? She couldn't decide. 'Choices...choices...' She bit her lip. "Mai." Naru warned.

"What?" She asked.

"Tell me." Mai decided to give in. He would only pester her continuously until she did otherwise. She took a breath deep.

"Why haven't you kissed me?" She asked. She still avoided looking at him though.

"I thought we'd been over this." He said exasperatedly. She knew it. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it. "Now is no time for starting a relationship, especially as we keep arguing." He continued.

"Couples argue all the time!" Mai retorted before she could stop what she was saying.

"Well I don't want ours to be one of them." Well, now Mai didn't know what to say...

She let out a sigh. Although just because he would kiss her doesn't mean they would automatically be in a relationship. It would just show her his feelings are genuine and maybe give her hope and incentive to work harder for the future. Didn't he know that? Apparently he didn't judging by the way he kept insisting on waiting. 'Stupid Naru...'

Naru cleared his throat. "We should probably get going if we are going to return the laptop." Mai nodded and stood up. She exited the kitchen in order to get the laptop. But Naru grabbed her arm as she passed him.

"Now what Naru?" She sighed. If he wasn't going to do as she wanted then she didn't really want to talk to him right now. "Well?" She asked when Naru didn't answer. He stared at her for a few moments before releasing her arm.

"Nothing..." He mumbled as he looked away. Mai had the urge to hit him in some way for being so frustrating. She took a deep breath and carried on with going to get the laptop though. After she got it she went to the front door and realized Naru hadn't come out the kitchen yet.

"Naru!" She shouted. "Are you coming or not? We have to go!" Naru wandered out of the kitchen. He had this look on his face that Mai couldn't recognize. Her anger dissolved and she softened.

"Naru, is something wrong?" She asked tentatively. She sat the laptop back down and went up to him. "Naru?" She repeated when he didn't answer. He let out a sigh before he answered.

"Why do you want me to so bad?"

"Because I just...I feel like it would prove your feelings for me, that you aren't just telling me empty words." She explained. Biting her lip, she averted her gaze elsewhere.

"I see." Naru replied. Mai gave a small nod, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. She wished she hadn't said anything now.

"L-Let's just go back to the office now befo-"

"I've never kissed anyone before Mai."

"Well neither have I but I'm willing to give it a go if it's you." She admitted, trying to comfort him and tell him it was okay to be nervous about it. Was this what it was about instead of the whole 'waiting until we quit arguing' thing? A small bloom of hope rose inside of Mai at the thought that it just might be the reason. Why couldn't he have just told her instead of making up an excuse? She let out a breath.

"Come on, we need to get to the office before someone comes back." She picked the laptop back up walked to the door. Naru followed her wordlessly. The ensuing walk to the office was also conducted in complete silence and Mai felt more and more awkward with every step she took. 'Why did I have to go and ruin everything?!' She scolded herself. 'If only I had kept my mouth shut.' Mai sighed frustratedly at herself. Naru was going to ask if she was okay but then decided not to as he could probably guess what the problem was.

Upon arriving at the office, they hurried back up there to it. Just as expected it was completely empty and locked. Mai dug into her pants' pocket and got Naru's key. She then unlocked the door. She gave Naru the laptop once they got in.

"You should probably put it back... You know where the cameras are."

"Alright. You can go make some tea." He told her before heading towards Lin's office. 'Tea, tea, tea. That's all he ever wants!' She growled in frustration as she headed to the kitchen. 'Why can't he drink water or something?' She thought. 'At least he can get that himself.' Well, Mai hoped he could do that by himself. With Naru you could never tell. The things she thought he—or anyone—could do...he really can't. How in the world has he been living on his own?! She shook her head. It sure was a puzzle considering the fact he seemed so together when she saw him at the office. She didn't realize he was so reliant on others to help him just live!

Apparently Naru didn't have any common sense on these things. It made her wonder how he'd survived until now. Mai suddenly sympathized Lin. He's taken care of Naru much longer. She thought she should maybe step up and help the man now she was aware of what was going on with Naru. Speaking of which, she remembered her promise that she would go to the grocery store and buy food for Naru. That would be their next stop after they'd finished dropping off the laptop she thought determinedly. She didn't care if Naru didn't want to go or not. She'd pick him up and carry him if she had to but he was going to eat healthy homemade food no matter what!

Naru came back into the kitchen just as the tea was finished. She handed his to him before informing him that the grocery store was their next destination. Naru gave her a questioning look.

"Proper meals need to be introduced in your home and I intend to do just that." Mai said.

"...Why?"

"Because it's not normal or healthy to eat take out every night." She replied.

"I do it all the time so it's not going to matter now." He defended. Mai decided to get more assertive with him.

"While I am staying with you, and most likely even after this whole ordeal is over, you will eat homemade meals and you will like them. Take out is off limits and this is for your own good. Now, after you finish your tea we are going to the grocery store. You will not complain, you will not pout or glare or make any other kind of fuss, you will accept what is happening with grace. Do you understand me?" Naru blinked at her in surprise. He nodded, still feeling stunned.

Mai smiled. "Good!" She then sipped her own cup of tea. Meanwhile Naru continued to stare at Mai. She never ordered him to do something! Normally she gave up if he didn't do something she wanted him to. This is something new. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He was the one who bossed her around in their relationship. He didn't think he could stand it if she told him what to do. She'd better not do it again...

"Naru, please stop frowning." Mai said gently. Naru snapped his eyes back to Mai before one of them twitched. She did it again! "Now what's wrong?" She asked.

"Why are you telling me what to do all of a sudden?" He asked in irritation.

"I actually only told you to go to the store without complaint, the frowning I asked or stated politely for you not to do it." Mai pointed out. "In any case I'm fed up of you ignoring what I've asked of you or telling me what to do. Besides, sometimes I think you need someone to tell you what to do."

"And just why is that?" He questioned.

"Because from what I've seen it's blatantly obvious you can't do anything for yourself outside of here." Naru frowned considerably. "Well it's true!"

"I'm very capable of taking care of myself." If Mai looked closely enough she could see him pouting slightly.

"Says the man who thought a loaf of bread and a box of eggs were used in changing a bed." Naru glared at her. Mai shook her head and sighed.

"You know, maybe I should just go home." She said defeated. A look of panic crossed Naru's face. "This isn't working. I can't tell you what to do as you don't like it but I also can't live in the same conditions as you." She continued.

"Did I actually object to not eating take out? No, I did not." Naru replied swiftly, trying to change Mai's mind. Mai raised an eyebrow.

"When I said it wasn't healthy you said 'I do it all the time so it's not going to matter now' indicating that you weren't willing to change or even give proper meals a go."

"Mai." Naru sighed. Mai looked at him but didn't say anything. "That...doesn't mean I wouldn't."

"Naru, your expression says it all." Mai replied. "You weren't happy I demanded you accompany me to the store without making any fuss and you were even more unhappy when I asked you to stop frowning. Face it, you can't take instructions and everything has to be your way or you aren't interested and I just can't live like that. Life is about compromise and you aren't willing to give anything." Naru was silent, he only stared at Mai.

Mai let out a breath and shook her head again before turning and walking out of the kitchen.

"Mai!" Naru went after her. She kept walking. To her the discussion was over and there was nothing more to say. "See, this is what I've been talking about—we have to stop fighting all the time." Mai paused at the realization of what they had been doing. "Mai, I've been living on my own for a while. It's just going to take some time to get used to you being with me."

"Naru." She said gently. "I know it's difficult for you. It's difficult for me too and I've been living alone a lot longer but whereas I seem to be trying to compromise you just don't and that's even harder for me."

"...What do you want me to do?" Naru asked helplessly.

"I don't know. Suggest stuff, ask my opinion on everyday things, accept my opinion when I give it to you or when I ask something of you, be more courteous..."

"I'm not going to be able to automatically do everything, you know..." Naru said after a few moments in his thoughts. "It's going to have to take some time..." Mai sighed. She knew that.

"I know." She nodded. Naru sighed also. He walked closer to her.

"I'm sorry Mai." He said quietly. Mai blinked owlishly and stared tentatively at him. He too just stood and carefully watched Mai. If that's what Mai wanted him to do then he would. "Shall we...go to the store now?" He suggested carefully. Mai exhaled deeply and gave a small nod. She then turned towards the door. Naru again followed right behind her.

They soon made it to the store although yet again the entire walk was conducted in silence. 'We've got to get over this...' Mai thought. She grabbed a cart and placed it in front of Naru.

"You're the driver between us so you can handle the heavy goods vehicle." She stated hoping to get him to at least crack a smile at her description of the trolley. Although he didn't completely smile, his lips did twitch upwards and his eyes lit up in amusement. It was good enough for Mai. They immediately began to start shopping.

"Now, what kinds of foods do you like?" Mai asked trying to be practical about it before seeing that Naru was just randomly grabbing stuff off the shelves and putting it in the cart. "Naru! What are you doing?"

"Shopping?" He replied. Mai shook her head and smiled.

"Naru, you can't just buy anything and everything." She stated.

"Why not? I have the money for it."

"Are you going to eat any of it?" She asked as she looked in the cart.

"Of course."

She scrunched up her face a bit. "If you say so."

"What?" Naru asked. Mai gave a small shrug.

"It just seems like a lot is all..."

"Well you have to eat too." Mai looked back up at him a bit startled.

"Oh...uh, yeah, right!" She laughed nervously.

"Mai?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, Naru?" She asked as they walked along.

"What was that nervous laughing about?"

"Oh. I just kinda forgot I was staying with you for a little while." She simply replied.

"Oh, I see." Mai nodded and continued shopping. She threw a few packs of different meat and fish on the cart. And also some more healthy things, like fruit and vegetables. Naru meanwhile threw on thirty bars of chocolate and five large tubs of ice cream. He sneaked as much as he could in before Mai noticed. She sighed at the sight of the trolley groaning with the weight of half the candy aisle plus an entire shelf of ice cream.

"Naru, put all that back, we don't need it and I'm certainly not nursing you through another sweet tooth binge." She saw Naru pout slightly. "Plus I don't need you making me gain so much weight." She added. Naru then glared outright at her. It was then Mai's turn to pout. "Please, Naru, you can have some of it though. I just don't want to lose all that weight again once I get back into my body." Naru didn't want to put any of it back, he wanted all of it. Mai sighed. "What's it going to take for you to give most of that up? And why do you even want it anyways? You hate sweets."

"Well maybe I changed my mind about hating them." Mai raised an eyebrow. Naru huffed and grabbed only two of the tubs of ice cream to return.

Mai sighed. "Some of the candy too, please." Naru groaned and grabbed one chocolate bar. Mai frowned deeply at him. "Naru..." She whined. He sighed and picked up another chocolate bar. She gave him a blank look. You'd think that with the thirty bars he got, he could at least give up twenty of them. He shot her a look of his own. Apparently not. "Fine, but I'm monitoring how much you eat... It is my body, Naru." She reluctantly agreed.

"Fine by me." He answered before pushing the cart along again. Feeling tired from defeat, Mai followed behind him. They didn't get too much more, just a few savoury snacks to nibble on if they wanted. Once that was done they went to the check out.

Naruisawesome:- Aww, what a sweet confession!

Treelow955:- God, what a sweet tooth!

Naruisawesome:- Hahaha, true!

Treelow955:- How will he eat all that?

Naruisawesome:- Well, he will unwrap the bar of chocolate, bite off a piece and chew on it...

Treelow955:- *Stares blankly*

Naruisawesome:- *Continues explanation now using photos and diagrams*

Treelow955:- Please read and review if only to get her to stop explaining how to eat a bar of chocolate!

Naruisawesome:- Then he will enter the bathroom...