AN: Honeybee is a work I am proud of because it's the first time, in such a long time, that I recognize myself in this writing and it is a representation of all that I had gone through and importantly continued to work through to write this.
Fanfiction does not have the fandom it had before. I hope that this story brings some pleasant nostalgia to those who read. I hope this story, or my own testimony, inspires someone to write or confront their personal challenges.
Happy reading and importantly, love always.
Disclaimer: Do not own Ghost Hunt.
Don't Take my Summer Away
"Stop fiddling with your seatbelt."
Stop watching everything I do. But he didn't say it out loud. Also didn't bother to look up at his twin choosing to silently comply and resume what he was doing.
Silence quickly replaced any attempt at conversation, but it didn't last long as it seemed his twin had an agenda.
"Are you that anxious to see her?"
Again, he chooses not to answer continuing to stare out the passenger window and look at the humble brown low rise. It's 3 groups of 2 windows stacked on top of the other and the large off-white door with a broken call bell shut tightly. She'd be coming out that door.
"It's only been 2 weeks, Gene."
"That's practically a month." Gene responded. His attention still to the aged brown brick condominiums. More specifically that off white door.
"Hardly."
He rolled his eyes but caught wind of the door opening. He sat more upright, getting himself ready to unbuckle his seatbelt eyes trained on the door with the precision of a hawk but a middle-aged woman with a faded worn bathrobe stepped out. A leash was attached to her hand and a fluffy white dog excitedly wagged its tail anticipating its morning walk.
The middle-aged woman hazily looked up towards the car the two young males were in, proceeded to rub the morning crust from her sleep deprived eyes and gaily waltzed towards the vehicle.
"Shit." Gene heard his brother swear.
"Play nice." Gene warned with a gritted smile looking towards the approaching woman. He rolled the window down and the woman leaned down close to the car, a hand resting on the top of the vehicle. Gene could hear his brother disgustedly sigh and quickly shot a warning look over his shoulder before smiling at the middle-aged woman in front of him.
"Oi! Morrow handsome twins." Her lips were pressed in a thin flirty grin as she smiled at the two of them.
"Good morning, Ms. Willis. Walking Frederick?"
"Obviously, Gene. It couldn't be that she saw us through the window shades and used Frederick as an excuse to come out." Gene whipped his head so fast towards his twin he'd nearly felt dizzy if he weren't so enraged by his brother's lack of manners. What infuriated Gene even more was his brother's obvious fake smile and the sadistic glint in his eyes.
Gene turned back to the woman who looked on wide eyed. Gene then smiled and chuckled lightly.
"Oliver quit teasing Ms. Willis."
Ms. Willis leaned away from the car and began to chuckle and then obnoxiously laugh, a hog like snort coming straight from her enlarged nostrils.
"Oh you're an absolute riot!" She laughed.
Gene continued to smile wondering when this unwelcomed small talk would cease.
"Waiting on that clumsy neighbor girl of mine?"
She tsk'd and clucked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "If it were myself being picked up by two handsome young men well nothing could stop me from being on time."
She rested her arms on the car door with an expression that was downright predatory.
"Where the hell is Mai?" Gene heard Oliver grumble in a low hiss.
Ms. Willis humming softly, a red lacquered polished nail running along the car door. Gene was starting to become angsty and frustrated himself praying Mai would step out soon. He wasn't sure how to deflect this.
A savior came in the form a fluffy white dog. Frederick began to bark in urgency, yanking the leash to follow a squirrel in the distance. The sound and the hold of the leash distracted the woman enough that she removed herself from the window entirely.
The woman kept trying to quiet the dog and force him to stay put but Frederick would not be pushed around. The woman without a second glance or a goodbye walked off following Frederick's lead but not without hushed frustrations coming from her mouth. Gene's eyes followed after the disappearing woman and dog and once they were completely out of view, he shut his eyes and leaned back into his passenger seat with an exasperated sigh.
"Finally." Gene heard his brother mutter.
Gene shot straight up and turned his head out the window towards the brown condominiums. There she was.
The sun was beginning to come out from the peaks of dawn behind the condominiums. Light illuminated behind a short healthy looking young lady making her long wavy auburn hair appear a spectacular orange hue. She was fumbling with quite a few items in her arms. It appeared to be recyclable cups. She paused to readjust herself. Gene watched how the sun seemed to heighten the yellow tones in her creamy rose beige complexion. And how her blush colored lips appeared slightly swollen from her morning wake. Her soft round angular face turned towards the car and her hazel brown eyes caught his. Slowly she gave her most radiant warm smile and his breath hitched. His lips turned upwards sporting his own smile, a smile just as bright but equally private. A smile only for Mai. His Mai.
"Idiot." His train of thought broken by the sound of a car door shutting. He watched his brother do a light jog the rest of the way towards Mai. Mai nearly tripped over her school bag that dragged by her feet. Gene immediately went to jump out the car but was jolted back from the seatbelt. He unbuckled himself, not without annoyance, a swear word silently escaping his lips before he collected himself and came out the car shortly after to help.
When he approached, he could hear the familiar sounds of bickering between Oliver and Mai.
"Do you not know what punctual means?"
"Look Naru! I made you tea." She grinned ignoring Oliver's question and pointed look.
"Is this an excuse? If so, it's most pathetic."
"No," She tilted her head upwards in thought. "Consider it atonement."
"You look the least bit remorseful." He deadpanned.
"Oh no, Naru! I'm sooo sorry, can't you tell?" Her words drawled, bordering on teasing and something else entirely. Oliver quirked an eyebrow in mild indignation. She flashed him her most innocent doe eyed look with a poured lip to boot. But Oliver remained unimpressed his eyes not backing down from her. Mai straightened her posture back to its natural state and her hazel browns locked on Oliver's indigo eyes lips upturned in a smirk.
"Mai!"
Both teens looked away from the other hearing the excited shout. Mai looked past Oliver at an incandescently happy Gene. Immediately the auburn haired young woman practically pushed the cups into a balking Oliver, let her school bag drop and ran towards Gene jumping fully into his arms. Gene held her in his grasp and spun her twice before putting her down.
"Missed me, I'd take it?" She grinned up at him her arms wrapped loosely around his waist.
"Looks like you missed me more." Gene practically shivering in excitement from their embrace.
"Wouldn't go that far." She chuckled before letting go of him and heading back to grab her bag and tea from Oliver who frowned at her. Mai adjusted her bag on her shoulder, her face squinting from the handle catching onto her long hair. Once adjusted her eyes, dancing with mirth and mischief, looked back at Oliver who was still holding onto the cups of tea.
"Did you miss me too, Naru?"
Oliver stood stock still, practically petrified but it passed quickly and he could only lightly scoff at the audacity of Mai Taniyama. He tilted his head leisurely to the side and in a bored tone drawled his response.
"Hardly. In fact, I noticed how substantially more peaceful and quieter the home has been since your departure." The indigo in his eyes then sparked with something keen to amusement. "I will certainly miss the silence."
A smirk. The girl rolled her eyes, her top lip curling on the left side in annoyance. She audibly huffed and stomped a foot.
"Just hand me my tea, idiot scientist. You know, before it gets cold."
Oliver handed her the two teas. Mai took them easily and skipped over towards Gene, who just shook his head at the rivalry that was his twin brother and his best female friend. Mai handing Gene a warm recyclable cup of tea with an endearing grin. He smiled gratefully before taking a long inhale and sip.
It had been two long weeks without Mai's tea. She really did make the best tea.
"Ahh that's the good shit." Gene looked at Mai with a gentle expression. "You'll have to tell me how your trip with Masako was."
"Oh yes! It was-"
"If you two idiots don't hop in the car I'll leave you here to walk." Oliver interrupted with a hard shut of his door.
"We can talk in the car." Gene rolled his eyes playfully before opening the back car door for Mai. Mai climbed in and Gene did not look away when he saw Mai's panties, her school uniformed skirt was shorter than her middle school one. Not that it was a complaint. Shaking his head, he turned towards Oliver who mouthed the word 'pervert'. Gene angrily blushed before shutting Mai's door and getting in the passenger seat not giving his brother another glance from embarrassment. Oliver took off like a bat out of hell before Gene could even get his seatbelt on.
"Yea, sorry about being so late. I swear I had every intention for being on time and prepared." Mai put her hands up in surrender.
She could hear Oliver notso quietly scoff. Their eyes briefly connecting in the rearview mirror before Oliver continued to look to the road.
"It's no problem. We didn't wait long." Gene's lips pressed into an adoring smile.
"Long enough to be sexually assaulted by your sexually repressed neighbor." Oliver added his input.
"I didn't get in 'til like 2 in the morning and- wait, what?" Mai scooted towards the console between Oliver and Gene. "What did Ms. Willis say now?"
Gene turned over his shoulder to look at Mai. A rising grin following as he began to speak.
"I'll save it for a story at lunch. Yasuhara would love to hear all the details and Masako would certainly want to hear about Noll's horrific manners."
"Naru." Mai said his name in a reprimanding tone.
"If you're late again and Ms. Willis decides to grace us with her unwarranted attention I'm driving and not looking back." Oliver's grip on the steering wheel gripped tighter for a moment. Gene not missing this action of his.
"Oliver!" Gene scolded but Mai put a gentle hand on Gene's shoulder.
"Fine. I'm a resourceful girl I can find my way. I definitely look forward to your lunchtime story." Mai crossed her arms sitting back comfortably her nose haughtily raised up.
"Mai, ignore him. He's been tea deprived since you've gone, and it's turned him into a prolapsed arsehole." Gene calmly said.
The car promptly swerved and righted itself as Mai burst into loud gales of laughter. Exuberant, loud, full and warm. Just like her.
Oliver checked his phone heading towards the location Gene sent him. He looked around the sea of students in the courtyard and nearly walked back inside the building when he spotted his twin, Mai and Yasuhara doing some obscene dance routine while Masako and John amusedly watched from a blue table bench.
A very tall young man with long jet black hair that obscured one of his eyes stood beside Oliver and followed his gaze to the misfits who were lost in their own world.
"What are you waiting for?" The tall school peer asked.
"I'm deciding."
"On?" The male pressed.
"If I should disown my twin and his miscreant friends."
The tall male smirked passively before Oliver and his attention were drawn.
"Lin, whatchu guys looking at?"
A third tall young man approached speaking to the jet black haired male. He had an easygoing smile and long shaggy dirty blonde hair placed into a ponytail. He stood beside Lin joining in a conversation he wasn't invited too. Oliver wondered briefly how he seemed to attract the attention of Lin, a family acquaintance, and his friend whom he knew very little of other than his last name being Takigawa. Deciding to entertain them hoping they'd scatter off he replied in his most dead tone.
"Idiots." Silence ensued for a moment and Oliver began to take a step forward before Takigawa spoke out.
"Oi, I know one of those lots! The red head, Mai. She's in my home economics class." Oliver halted in step hearing the mention of Mai but thought why should it concern him and was going to leave without a single farewell.
"She's real cute." Takigawa admonished. The blonde male had his arms crossed looking directly at the auburn haired girl across the courtyard continuing to dance and laugh alongside his twin. For the briefest of moments, he felt annoyance. The feeling was hot and flashed across him before he decided to end, whatever this was, quick.
"Sure, if idiots are your thing."
Oliver, without looking back, headed towards his group of "idiots" and sat beside Masako, a petite girl, who promptly blushed upon his unexpected arrival.
"You shouldn't be doing that." Oliver spoke out his attention on the dancing trio in front of him. A speckled boy, the tallest in the group, dramatically brought his hands up in surrender. A pained expression marring his face as he replied.
"Oh how could we be so bad! We forgot to ask Oliver to join us."
The tall boy known as Yasuhara began to head towards Oliver gesturing wildly with his hands. "Here here stand beside me. I'll even give you my solo after the second chorus."
Oliver ignored Yasuhara's antics and continued to look at his twin and Mai who paid no attention to him.
"You're wearing your uniforms and intending to post it online. When you get in trouble, I'll have no sympathy for you." Oliver pulled a book out from his bag opening its pages to where he last left off.
"Oh come off it, Noll. Relax a bit. It's all in good fun." Gene's voice the faintest but agitated.
"And importantly, we look good doing it." Mai smirked at Gene and the two promptly clasped their hands in a high five. Gene's agitation passing just as quickly as it had come.
"Aww super Kawaii couple Gene and Mai and their secret couple handshakes." Yasuhara clasped his hands together giving his most girly squeal.
"Yasu, it's just a high five." Mai narrowed her eyes before she sat at the table.
"I've never high fived a girl." Yasuhara's voice became serious. "Never even given a thumbs up. Gene how are you so vastly ahead of me when it comes to ladies. Am I to grow up an accomplished adult because of my lack of hormonal stimuli?"
"What the hell?" Gene shook his head a blush having appeared on his face.
"According to Maslow's Hierarchy, yes." Oliver said with a turn of his page.
"Yasu, I know for a fact you've done a lot more than just high five a girl. In fact, it's been a coupl-"
"Johnny boy, please. There are ladies present." Yasuhara wiggled his eyebrows. The blonde, green eyed male gave up shrugging at Yasuhara's antics.
"Yasuhara, you're a sexual deviant." Masako's dark raven Bob holding perfectly still in the humidity.
"Takes one to know one Masako. How was you and Mai's wild wet summer?"
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" John laughed heartily.
"Everything." He winked at him. "But it was a genuine question." He turned back to Masako who skeptically looked on before deciding he was genuine.
"If you seriously want to know. We had a very pleasant time..." Masako began recanting some of the fun activities of her holiday with Mai.
Meanwhile, Gene and Mai were quietly speaking amongst themselves over Mai not having enough for lunch. Gene convincing Mai to take a snack pack of Oreos from him.
"But they're your favorite I can't just take them." She pushed.
"Because a granola bar is better?" Gene's elbow propped on the blue courtyard table.
"Healthier." Mai stretched her eyes at him turning her body to fully look at him as if to further drive her point.
"Not enough." Gene nagged looping his legs outside the seat so he could fully face the auburn haired girl.
"Oh our apologies, have we interrupted your lovers quarrel?" Yasuhara grinned mischievously.
"Masako, tell Mai to take my Oreos!" Gene pouted. Mai's mouth was ajar utterly surprised that Gene would tell on her.
"Mai did you not pack a proper lunch again?" The beautiful raven haired girl began to scold Mai.
Mai made some guttural noise that was far from feminine and made Yasuhara nearly snort.
"Gah! I was too tired to pack a lunch. Plus, didn't have time to go grocery shopping since we'd got in at 2." She began listing excuses but her one minute mind took in her raven haired friend's perfect milky skin and how the sun light seemed to highlight her pretty features because of the color contrast.
"Actually, how do you bloody manage to look so good from sleep deprivation? I woke up looking like an extra from Night of the Living Dead." Mai fluffed her frizzy hair for emphasis.
Yasuhara and John chuckled while Masako blushed.
"Damn, you're a perfect girl." Mai muttered.
"Mai take the damned Oreos already!" Gene not letting Mai get away with any distractions.
"Gene, I'm fine. They're YOUR favorite. You eat them."
"But Mai-"
A slap from the table alerted the bickering pair. Mai looked down at the table in front of her and saw a sandwich in a Ziplock baggie. Her eyes looked up to Oliver who continued to look at his book seemingly disconnected from the group.
"Problem solved." John smiled with amused green eyes.
"Thank you, Naru." Mai wordlessly opened the baggie and took out a half of a tomato and cheese sandwich and gratefully bit into it.
If Naru had heard Mai, he pretended not to as he hadn't responded but turned a page from his book.
Gene waited outside of Yasuhara and Oliver's advanced history classroom, his language arts teacher letting them head out a few beats before the bell. Most of the advanced classes tended to be in the same hallways. Gene's only advanced course was language arts. It'd been like that his entire school career thus far. Was the only class he didn't need help with from Oliver. Gene felt refreshed coming out the classroom looking forward to the reads in the syllabus.
The bell ring signaling a rush of students coming from their classroom prisons, Oliver being one of the first to exit out of the classroom. His indifferent expression flashing surprise seeing Gene before going back into its banal state.
"Why are you out so early? Your class is down the other hallway. Unless you've suddenly developed teleportation and left me in the dark."
"You'd be the first person to know if I've developed powers like The Flash." Gene smiling up at his twin before looking for Yasuhara in the sea of begrudged students exit the classroom Oliver just left. Gene finally spotted Yasuhara who looked equally fatigued.
The speckled boy saw the twins and matched up in a few strides.
"What kind of teacher gives a preassessment on the first day?"
"One who desires to weed out the easily pressured and idiots." Oliver supplied.
"Wait no. Really?" Gene blinked.
"Yes." Both his twin and Yasuhara said at once.
Oliver waved before walking alone to his next class.
"Your brother finished his mock assessment in less than 10 minutes. No one saw anything like it before, professor included."
"Yea, well they'll probably accelerate him again."
What's it like being the dumb twin? But that was in his head, fortunately.
Yasuhara and Gene headed to their one shared class. The boys walking down the stairs changing the conversation to something more casual. The two speaking on plans for the upcoming weekend.
"I can't believe we've already lost summer."
"Speaking of summer, I take it that you and Mai hadn't progressed during your family's camp trip?"
Gene nearly toppled down the stairs. He blanched and rubbed the back of his head with the sheepish expression, "Yea, bout that I actually got ill."
"Who the hell gets sick in the summer?" Yasuhara laughed jumping the last two steps and turned to his companion. Gene gave his most pitiful expression.
"I couldn't hold anything down not even water."
"Ahh man sounds awful." His tone not quite meeting the sentiment of his words. "Moving forward onto the juicy details of how Mai nursed you back to health." Yasuhara leaned in close while classmates looked at the two teenage boys. Gene taking a step to the side for some distance.
"Please tell me she wore one of those sexy nurse outfits with the hat. Isn't complete without the hat you know."
I wish. "No, nothing like that." Gene blushed deeply with a shake of his head.
"You should get a move on, Gene. Mai is a secondary school woman now. You won't be the only guy here with a crush on her."
"I know I know. Can we not do this in the hallway?" Where anyone can hear.
Gene often wondered if he regretted telling Yasuhara about his feelings for Mai before summer break, but it was nice to talk about these things and have someone cheer him on. No one knew other than Yasuhara and though he never explicitly told his twin, Oliver was the most perceptive person he knew and knew him better than anyone, so it was a natural conclusion he knew as well.
Yasuhara sighed upon seeing the deep expression on his best mate's face. With a clap on his friend's shoulder, he gave him a sincere grin.
"C'mon let's get on before we're late my hopeless friend."
School had let out and the twins, followed by Mai, walked to their parked car. Mai happily bobbed and sang along to the TikTok video they had taken earlier during their lunch.
"How'd your first day go, Mai?"
"Oh! Well, I can tell I'll need to ask Naru for some help studying."
"On day one, already. Should I be impressed by your stupidity or concerned?"
"It's not stupid to know your shortcomings and get on top of it."
"And by on top of it, you mean me?"
"Well-well not like that!" Mai stuttered her face turning a brilliant red. She began t hide behind her hands seeing Oliver's smirk, "Oh my god, Naru!"
"NOLL!" Gene looked absolutely mortified and disgusted all to which Oliver ignored with a roll of his indigo eyes.
"Same context. You plan on taking advantage of me either way."
"Narcissistic pervert." Mai muttered under her breath staring hard out the window though she caught a glimpse of Oliver's smug expression in the rearview.
"Mai, want to come over for dinner?" Gene quickly cut in realizing they would miss their turn for home if he didn't get a response within the minute. "Luella wanted me to ask you." He quickly added in feeling cowardice to inquire himself.
Gene could see his twin smirk mockingly. He ignored him and awaited Mai's response.
"Sounds lovely! But I have a lot to do at home and I'm exhausted." Mai pouted. Gene tried his best to not look how he felt. They didn't have any classes together and it'd been two weeks since he'd seen her.
"Maybe Friday. Yea?" She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Maybe she knew it disappointed him? He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled brightly, he certainly didn't want t guilt trip her.
"Very well then."
Oliver parked the car in the same spot from earlier in the morning and Mai jumped out waving at the twins before heading to the brown flats. Oliver waited until Mai had gotten in the door before pulling off and heading in the direction of home.
The entire way home, Gene was sunk into his seat sulking. Oliver was agitated by his toddler behavior, but his brotherly instincts wanted to comfort him.
"She'll be over Friday. Luella will probably convince her to stay the night."
Gene instantly perked up- in mood and physically. Oliver contained his amusement turning into their street.
"You think?" Gene asked almost innocently. Oliver didn't respond, obviously he thought so. Gene seemed content with the no response and relaxed in his seat, a soft smile playing on his lips. As different as the two of them were Gene, and Oliver could attest as well, that no one knew the other like the two of them did.
"Thanks for the sandwich earlier, Noll. I'm sure you're starved!" Gene snapped his head to his brother who looked nonplused. Oliver parked in their driveway and gave an appreciative look at their father's car that was perfectly in place.
"I'm fine." Oliver gave his brother a look before shutting the car off and jumping out. Gene hurriedly jumped out the car, not as gracefully as his twin, and ran to catch up.
"Still, I appreciate it." Gene continued. Oliver sighed placing the house key in the door.
"Don't."
"Why not?" Gene confusedly looked after Oliver who was walking into the entrance hall.
"It's not for you to appreciate."
Mai and Masako were in a café afterschool enjoying some fresh squeezed juice the day before Friday. The two girls briefly argued about whether they should drink inside or out but Masako won the argument stating whoever pays gets to choose where to stay. Mai only agreed to this because the girl's words rhymed. 15 minutes into their conversation about the first week of school and Masako started talking about Oliver.
It was common knowledge amongst the group that Masako fancied Oliver and had since last year when Mai introduced Masako to the twins. Although Masako fancied Oliver there hadn't been any progress between the two. Masako was much too passive and shy while Oliver didn't seem interested in her- anyone really.
"Oliver sat beside me at lunch again. That's three times this week." Masako looked down at her cup of juice, a small smile rising in the corners of her lips.
"Someone is feeling cheeky." Mai teased with a big smile of her own.
"He's gotten taller, I think." Masako tucked her hair behind her ear with a dainty hand.
Mai had noticed as well. She spent most of summer with the twins, had even gone on a weekend camping trip with the family. Oliver had definitely grown but so had Gene. Seeing the twins shirtless while lazy floating was a sight to see. Masako jealously hated her for the entire weekend.
"Both Gene and Oliver. Kinda freaky how they've even grown the same."
"They're identical, Mai." Masako deadpanned.
"And couldn't be so completely different!"
They were entirely different save for face but even then, Mai could always tell which twin was which. Gene was so much like herself. They both have cheerful personalities, a bit of a mischievous streak and friendly. Oliver was an entirely different story.
"I agree with you there." Masako nodded her head.
"Gene is very friendly, outgoing, silly and always polite. And Naru-"
"He's calm and collected, intelligent, punctual-"
"A narcissist arse." Mai finished with a pointed look.
"Mai!" The raven haired girl put a hand up to cover her mouth.
"It's true. That's why he's Naru the narcissist." Mai shrugged with a sip of her juice.
"He has a right to be. A face like that." Masako dreamily blushed.
"Eww!" Mai stuck her tongue out. "Gene has the same one!"
"But it's different! Besides, Gene is your twin and Oliver-"
"Is yours?"
Mai had heard many other people say the same thing, but it was surprising to her Masako admit she felt the same. Their school peers thought that Masako and Oliver's reserved, and quiet personalities made them the most compatible couple compared to herself and Gene. Everyone was under the impression she and Masako were dating the Davis twins, well mostly everyone. There were other rumors out there about her and the twins that she completely shut out.
"You introduced us last year and I feel like I can't even call him a friend. We've made no progress in our acquaintanceship."
Masako was actually very upset. She didn't often display her emotions for others to easily read but it was in her eyes and the slump of her shoulders. It hurt Mai to see her friend so despondent over Naru.
"You can't blame yourself there." Mai patted Masako's hand. "It's Naru! He's like relationship stunted or something."
"He's friendly to you and Gene." Masako removed her hand from under hers.
"Friendly to me?! Have you heard the things he's said to me?!" Mai practically shouted passionately. The other customers giving their displeased glances their way. Masako quietly apologized through her eyes. Mai having taken a long sip from her juice until it made an unpleasant noise slammed her cup down at finish.
"I've been called every synonym for idiot and I'm pretty sure he's called me an idiot in at least..." Mai began to count out with her fingers. "...5 languages!"
Masako pulling Mai's thumb up to indicate she indeed meant 5. A knowing smirk on befell on the raven haired girl's face as Mai sheepishly looked away with a heated face. After giving Mai a few moments to collect herself she continued the conversation.
"Still, he speaks the most around you two. I'd really like to have more conversation with him."
Mai sat back quietly against her seat as she tried to think on solutions for her friend. Naru was not an easy person to get conversation out of. If he wasn't ignoring someone, he was dismissing them or baiting them to only leave a person rendered speechless by his foul mannerisms. However, what Masako was doing, which quintessentially was sitting and looking pretty wasn't helping. Naru needed someone who wasn't afraid of him or worried about what he thought. Importantly someone who could stand their own. Masako was like that with everyone else except Naru. She would just have to be herself and go for it.
"Well, then you should just go for it."
"Go for it?" Masako gave her disbelieving look. Couldn't be that easy. Mai knew Masako wouldn't want to go for it but what other choices did she really have. Oliver certainly wouldn't go for it.
"At best you get what you want and at worst things will be amicable. I don't think he'd be horrid." I hope not.
"Eh, I'm not sure Mai." Mai could see the uneasy and nervous expression her friend's face.
"Think on it. I'm not pushing you." She said gently. Mai was caught by surprise with Masako's light laughter.
"Not at the moment but you will it's what you do." Masako smiled endearingly.
"Call me Cupid."
An unreadable look crossed Mai's face but it passed just as quickly. Masako decided not to look any further into it and excused herself to the loo. Both girls wondering what the prospects of a Masako and Oliver relationship would look like.
On Friday, Mai jumped into the car with the Davis twins for dinner. She ignored the statements that followed her from nosers who made assumptions about her relationship with the twins. She and Gene had heard their crazy share of rumors. Mai wondered if Naru had as well. But she knew Oliver paid no mind to things such as rumors, or stupid people or arses.
Every time Mai approached the Davis's Villa, she pretended she was a character from a Jane Austen novel. Like she was visiting the sultry and sullen Mr. Darcy. The home did have a classic English manor feel to it.
The home sat on a quarter of an acre in a well-known area. The exterior framed by a portico made of Belgian blue stone, large white windows, and a perfectly manicured garden. The light, airy living quarters has an open-plan layout that connects the lounge with the custom kitchen and dining table. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors led to a backyard that housed their greenhouse where Luella, their adoptive mother, had a plethora of wildlife growing inside, and a pond with fish!
The home had four bedrooms and five bathrooms, plus a cozy yet elegant drawing room, a charming study, a generously sized wine cellar, a library that Oliver locked himself in most days, and an entertainment suite where Luella entertained guests. There was even a guest flat with its own kitchen, bathroom, and living area. Luella had often notso subtly hinted at Mai living there or Gene's room.
The thought making Mai blush madly before shaking her head furiously. Luella was not a normal mom. She was a cool mom.
When the trio had gotten to the Davis house, they all sat about the family room. Gene and Mai loudly talked and played video games while Oliver choose to pull a book from his bag and read in quiet solitude on the sofa away from the exuberant duo.
The call of dinner brought all threes attention to the dining room where Gene and Mai thought it a bright idea to race each other there. Oliver rolled his eyes and looked back at the page he'd been reading, walking to the dining room. He counted to three before a familiar crash could be heard.
"Boys!" Oliver heard his adoptive mother, Luella call.
Oliver never quite understood why Luella insisted on lumping him in with his twin's antics. When had he ever acted a fool and broken anything or nearly broken anything. Since Mai imposed herself in their lives twice as many things had broken. Maybe thrice.
"Gene and Mai, how many times have we scolded you two for running in the house?" Martin, their adoptive father, drawled in an exhausted tone.
"27 times." Oliver answered to which Gene and Mai promptly turned and gave death threatening glances his way.
"So far too many times." Martin interjected before a brawl ensued. "Should you two eat outside like dogs?"
"No father, we're sorry." Gene gave him his charming boyish grin. Which Oliver hated because it always seemed to work on their parents.
"I apologize, Martin. I'll be sure to beat Gene in a race outside." Mai "the audacity" Taniyama declared.
Gene elbowed Mai who elbowed him right back. Martin could be seen with a small smile of his own before he sat at the head of the table. Oliver rolled his eyes at the childish behavior in front of him before taking his own seat.
"What did I tell you two about flirting at the dinner table?" Luella came out of the kitchen to take her seat.
Mai deeply blushed and looked away while Gene scratched the back of his head and headed for his seat like he was on fire. Mai jumped like a guppie out of water and took to her own seat. Oliver thinking, idiots as he watched his mother grow a devious smirk on her face.
"Told you two to not flirt 'til I'm at the table to witness it!"
"Mum!" Gene whined embarrassment flushed his face.
Oliver glared into his book annoyed that his mother was instigating a sexual relationship with her teenaged son and his younger teenage friend at the dinner table but compared to most evenings Mai visited this was tame. Sometimes, Luella tried to get Mai to stay the night- in Gene's room of all things!
Martin watched Oliver look at his book like he was attempting to burn a hole through its pages. What had his knickers in a bunch, he thought. Then he realized this was an opportunity to tease his recluse son.
"Oh, and Oliver," Martin quipped. Oliver lifted his eyes to his father.
"How many times have I told you to not read at the dinner table?"
Oliver could hear a familiar snicker. He looked in Mai's direction as she seemed to perfectly time her blowing a raspberry in his direction. He raised an unamused eyebrow at her then gave her a smug smirk, her grinning expression falling flat. Oliver turned his attention to his father.
"Less times than Mother has scolded you for the same thing." He shut his book with a clap and placed it on the table. Everyone sat speechless as they tended to do when Oliver responded to a jab. Gene laughed gaily and began to put some mash on his plate.
Gene, Oliver and Mai were outside in the back laying on the grass. The backyard had a tiered English garden and a greenhouse to the far right. The pond was a few yards ahead of the last level of the split four level landscape.
"Why is it the sky can be purple and blue or red and orange?" Mai asked out loud. Her eyes looking up at the beautiful purple and blue sky before them.
"Wavelength lights is the simpler explanation." Oliver answered, not certain why he entertained Mai's questions most days or why he was even out here with the two of them. "Longer wavelengths make for orange and red while shorter wavelengths make for purple and blue."
"I prefer when the sky is orange and red. I think it's really pretty." Mai earnestly smiled.
"Give me the sunset in a cup!" Gene remarked with vigor. Mai began to giggle holding her sides.
"What?" She continued to laugh looking at Gene who smiled towards her.
"It's nothing. A poem."
"Text it to me later." Mai smiled softly at Gene who looked away to cover his growing blush and quickly nodded.
"What does that cloud look like?" Mai continued her endless prattle. Oliver noted that Mai could rarely stay quiet in his almost 3 years of knowing her.
"Hm. Ribbons of fate!" Gene jeered nuzzling his nose into Mai's shoulder who slapped him away with an erupting giggle. Oliver watched their interaction feeling annoyed by how obnoxious the two of them could be and how it annoyed him that he was annoyed by their closeness.
"Chemtrails." He grumbled.
"Huh?" Gene breaking away from his tickling of Mai. Mai observing Oliver as well.
"Goddamn chemtrails taking over the sky." And with that Oliver stood up and walked back into the home leaving Mai and Gene alone.
"He's so cynical. Chemtrails. Whatever. That's clearly a Chinese dragon." Mai blew a raspberry making Gene giggle like a schoolgirl.
"Looks like an anaconda to me." He said giving his own input. "Although if Yasuhara was here he'd say it looked like something else."
"That pervert can't see anything but the perverse. And now he's corrupted you!"
"What? I'm not corrupted."
"Then why even bring it up?" She twisted her eyes at him disapprovingly. She had him there. With the most deadpanned expression he could muster, courtesy of his twin, he replied.
"Because I'm stupid."
She laughed. Exuberant, loud, full and warm. Her.
"On most days I can't tell which of us is dumber."
"Noll does refer to us by Dumb and Dumber."
"Oh I've heard. He's just never specified who's who."
"It changes by the day."
"The hour." Mai smirked up.
The feeble yellow yard light illuminating her from behind and she somehow never looked quite as breathtaking than in this moment. A shy smile etched itself on his face and he was now completely turned and enraptured by her. She was getting ready to say something but noticed him looking at her. Mai turned, shifting her weight on her arm, using her hand to keep her head leveled. A playful smile gracing her lips, and those doe hazel eyes, with the darkness and the light, this scene just didn't seem real.
"You all good there, Gene?"
"Perfect." He said breathily. "I'm perfect."
An odd expression crossed her face for only a moment before she seemed to accept his words and closed her eyes enjoying the good evening weather.
Contrary to what Gene had told Yasuhara about his feelings for Mai, he hadn't been quite honest with his best mate. Yasuhara was under the impression that Gene simply fancied Mai and this development started near the end of last school year. Thing was he hadn't just simply fancied her, and this wasn't a recent development. Gene had been in love with Mai since middle school. And this year he was determined to confess his feelings. He just needed to find the right moment. Rightly so, if he confessed now while she looked so peaceful, it would catch her off guard ruin the mood.
But after having Noll drop Mai off back home and lying in bed Gene faced the truth. He was scared. So maybe the exact goal wasn't to confess to Mai but to work up the courage to not be afraid to confess to her. Maybe then things would change between he and Mai.
He hoped they would.
AN: I hope you guys have enjoyed the introductory chapter of Honeybee. This story is a romance and drama that may possibly become M rated. Make sure you buckle your seatbelts for all the drama coming your way! There will be 10 chapters and an Epilogue (this 7k worded chapter is the shortest one). I have also created a playlist on Apple Music. Songs that inspired the story. If you'd like to have the link, comment or PM me. Chapter 2 will be up in a few days.
Songs That Helped Inspire This Chapter
Don't Take My Summer Away by Truli
OMG by New Jeans (TikTok dance)
Make You Mine by PUBLIC
Please tell me your thoughts. Read, Review, and Enjoy! Thank you!