Okay! This is a short one and has a lot going on in it! But there are some cute fluffy moments! I'm thinking there will be one or two more Post Case Chapters before the next case which I have some ideas for. Enjoy!
Post Case 1-Michiru's Party
Saturday December, 5:49 P.M.
"Well, would you look at that, Naru's growing up," Ayako teased after the double daters left.
"He did certainly take that very well," John added, while Naru had retreated to his office. "I'm happy for her."
"John, please don't ever change," Monk said, ruffling the boy's hair.
"Well, I'll try not to," he laughed, running a hand through his now messy hair.
"Hey, Naru," Masako began, seeing this as her opportunity to score a real date with the black clad young man without the competition of his brunette assistant. She peaked her head into his office. "We are all heading to the ice rink and getting some dinner afterwards, would you like to join us?"
"Thank you for the offer, however I have too much work to get done tonight," he declined without a second thought.
"Okay, perhaps next time," she offered, closing the door behind her as she left. Lin came out of his office ready to leave as well. "Lin, are you going to come with us? You are more than welcomed to."
"Thank you for the offer, but I can't," he replied heading for the door to grab his coat.
"Well, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Monk asked, as Lin put on his coat and grabbed his car keys.
"Madoka's plane will be landing shortly, I'm going to pick her up," he replied as he walked out.
"So, are we going to go or what?" Ayako asked once it was determined it would just be the four of them. "We should go now, before it gets too crowded."
"Right," Masako replied with a sigh.
7:47 P.M.
"So, when did you cut your hair?" Shouta asked, handing her a glass of punch.
"Michiru cut it on Wednesday, actually you called her, while she was in the middle of cutting it," Mai replied, taking the cup.
"Got tired of it being long?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
"It was time for something new," she responded, giving a half smile. "Well, do you like it?"
"It looks nice," he replied, taking a sip of his own cup. "And you can always grow it back."
"Oh shut up!" she laughed, playfully punching his arm. "You should have seen me when I had a pixie cut, this is long for me."
"Mai! Stop abusing Shouta!" Keiko playfully scolded as she walked up, her arm around Taiki's waist.
Mai just laughed. "Fine, but only because Taiki finally grew a pair and kissed you under the mistletoe," she teased.
"Wasn't it the most adorable thing!" Michiru exclaimed, popping out of absolutely nowhere. "I can't tell you how long it took me to get these dorks together!"
"You had nothing to do with this," Taiki laughed shaking his head.
"Sure I did, why do you think there are seven things of mistletoe hanging around here," she shrugged.
"Speaking of," Shouta said, pointing above his girlfriend's head. "I found another."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she teased as they gave each other a quick peck.
"Well, my work here is done," Michiru said, feeling oh so accomplished with herself.
"Really? Where is your boy, Michiru?" Keiko pried, taking a sip of punch.
"I told you, I'm staying away from guys for a little while, after Akira, I think it's more important that my girls had some fun. After all, I was with him for like ever while you two were single," she explained with a shrug.
"Wow, Michiru, that's the most profound thing I've heard you say," Shouta teased, patting the high schooler on the head.
"That's it!" she exclaimed, you could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. "Mai! Permission to kick your boyfriend's ass!"
"I'm staying out of this one!" the petite brunette held her hands up and backed out of the room.
"Mai?" Shouta called, noticing the fire in Michiru's eyes. "Mai!"
"Oh, Noll!" Madoka shouted once she and Lin made it back to the office. "Please, do not tell me this was the gift you gave to Mai for Christmas!" She held up the plastic princess mug with Mai's name written on it. "After all the crap she's gone through with working for you, this is your idea of a gift!"
"I believe the term 'gag-gift' would apply here," Lin leased as he hung up both of their coats.
"Please tell me he at least gave her my gift, I was going to let him take the credit for it, but he said that he had it covered," she continued, crossing her arms. "I didn't realize that this was what he meant."
"I made sure he put it on her desk before we went out and shoveled our side of the parking lot," Lin replied, heading for the kitchenette. "Tea?"
"If my raspberry green tea is still in there then yes, please," she responded sending death glares at the young genius's door. "What the hell is that little boy doing in there!"
"Madoka, I don't think you should-" but Lin was too late. The young woman had already walked right into the office that no one dares disturb.
"Oh! And she got you such a cute mug too! Oliver!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms. "What were you thinking!"
"I-" he started, but just closed his mouth. Madoka was not finished yelling just yet.
"It's obvious that she has a crush on you! And has since you two worked on your first case together! And you mock her clumsiness! You question her theories! She has literally been to hell and back and you give her a gag-gift!" The young woman was breathing heavily now. Naru just sighed, a sweatdrop was at the back of his head as he held the urge to shake it.
"Are you finished?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.
"No, but I will let you have a say now while I catch my breath." She took a deep breath and sat down. "Go on."
"The mug wasn't the real gift," he said.
"Oh thank God!" she shouted , flopping back in her seat. "So what did you get her? Take any of my advice?"
"He got her a charm for the bracelet you got her," Lin answered for him, bring in a couple cups of tea.
"Okay, what kind of charm," she raised her brow.
"A ghost."
"Oh Noll!" Madoka squealed. "That is the single most adorable thing you have done for the girl! You really do have a heart!" She gave a mischievous smile at the boy. "So what did she think?"
"I don't know," he replied, grabbing a file from the pile on his desk. "She went to a party with her boyfriend before she could say anything about it."
"Oh right, she does have a boyfriend now, great work," she gave him a look as he continued to read through the file. "I told you if you didn't act fast someone else would get her."
"What nonsense are you referring to now?" he asked, his tone holding annoyance as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Oliver, you are in denial as usual," she replied, leaning back. "We all know you have a thing for your part-time assistant. And it's okay, sometimes these things can work, and you know how high school relationships are, they never last very long-"
"Madoka," he warned, pinching harder.
"What? Lin and I are making it work, and half of the time I'm long distance and-"
"Madoka, I don't think this is a good time," Lin tried to help, placing a hand on her shoulder. Naru decided it was time to turn his swivel chair around and ignore the couple.
"Fine, I guess I'm pressing too hard," she said with a sigh and began to walk out. "You now, Oliver," she began as she stopped at the door. "I understand that finding Eugene's body is your top priority, I want to find him too, but it's okay to get a little side tracked, if it means you can be a little happier. I miss him terribly, but Mai, she reminds me of him so much. And I'm sure Martin and Luella will love her. They already love the stories."
With that, she closed the door behind her and Naru sighed. Relieved he was finally alone. He have romantic feelings for his assistant? How ridiculous could she get?
"Is there a reason your friend decided to hang twenty things of mistletoe around?" Yasuhara exhaled, finding Mai in the family room.
"She only hung seven," she replied with a laugh.
"Damn, this just must be a small house then, I keep trying to make sure Kiko isn't standing under one," he said, scratching his head.
"Uh oh, is someone too nervous to make a move?" Mai teased, crossing her arms. The college student just let out a breath and shrugged. "Wow, afraid she'll turn you down?"
"Unfortunately our relationship is a tad complicated," he explained, leaning against the wall. "She left Ryoukuryou suddenly, just before summer of my senior year, and I hadn't seen her until the case at her house. Since then we've caught up and have been in touch regularly-"
"And you totally like her, but you're afraid to ask her out?" Mai cocked her head. "Even though you two have been on plenty of 'dates.'"
"If her reason for leaving Ryoukuryou weren't so complicated…" then he stopped, knowing he had said too much.
"Complicated?" That caught her attention. "Yasuhara, why did Kiko leave? Both of you have been trying to play it off as the tension of the teachers' strictness. But you keep saying that it's her business, and I get that, but even you are walking on eggshells."
Yasuhara shook his head. "Mai, it's-"
"Hey guys!" Kiko shouted. "The cake's great, have you had some yet?"
"Yeah, I helped Michiru make it last night after my shift at the office," Mai said, crossing her arms. "Actually I kinda want another piece of it."
"Hey go for it!" Kiko urged, taking a bite. "It's a holiday, calories don't count, not that you need to watch them anyway."
"Thanks, is there any of the strawberry chocolate cake left?"
"Yeah, but hurry, it's going fast!"
"Thanks!" She rushed off to get a piece of that cake.
"Hey, did Michiru or Keiko tell you why they have so many mistletoe hanging around here?" Kiko asked, taking another bite of her cake.
"I wish I had an answer to that," Yasuhara replied, stealing a strawberry from her plate.
"Hey!" She shouted, trying to stab his hand with her fork.
"You never brought me a piece," he defended eating the strawberry.
"You never asked. And what am I? Your obedient girlfriend who reads your mind and brings you cake because she can sense you would like some?" She argued, as he snuck another strawberry. She moved her cake away.
"Obviously not, is that too much to ask?" he teased, earning a look from his high school friend.
She simply sighed and stuck a finger into the icing of her cake and wiped it on his nose. "Yes." She said as he stood there dumbfounded. "Yes it is."
"John! Watch out!" Ayako exclaimed as John managed to dodge some small children and slam into the wall that surrounded the ice skating rink.
"I'm okay!" he answered as Monk skated up to him.
"Ha, someone is a little out of practice," the man teased, ruffling the priest's hair.
"I am, I haven't skated since I was back home, that was more than two years ago. Probably around June…" he replied, remembering that last time he had gone skating with his sister and some friends in Australia.
"Why June?" Ayako asked, then shook her head realizing how stupid her question is. "Sorry, I keep forgetting the seasons are switched in Australia."
"No, you are fine, where's Masako?" he asked.
"Bathroom, maybe?" Monk offered?"
"No, I think I know where she went," Ayako said, skating off. Leaving the boys dumbfounded on the ice.
"Got any idea?" Monk asked John.
"Not a clue," he shook his head.
Ayako found Masako at the food court, sitting at a table alone. She sat down across from her. "What the hell are you doing over here?" she asked, Masako just sighed and shook her head.
"Sorry, I just wasn't up for skating at the moment. I'll be out there later," she replied, turning away.
"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Naru declining your offer to come with us, would it?" the woman cocked her head to the side. The girl was silent. "C'mon, do you really see Naru having fun ice skating? All he seems to do for fun is read and ghost hunt and work. Though, the thought of him falling on the ice is pretty hilarious to think about."
That earned a small laugh from the medium. Then her face became somber. "I just wish he didn't hate me."
"I'm sure Naru doesn't hate you, if he hated you, then why when you disappeared at the mansion did he have us spend the entire day searching for you? He was holding on to your comb after all," the priestess tried to give a suggestive look but, Masako looked away.
If only you knew why he held on to my comb, she thought to herself. But if you did, he would probably hate you too.
"Okay, I get it, you want another minute to wallow in self pity. Sometimes we need that. We'll be out on the ice when you want to come and have some fun," Ayako replied, getting up and waddling her way back to the rink.
Masako felt hollow. She missed two cases only to find that Mai had been her replacement for both of them. Her powers were growing, while Masako's seemed to be diminishing. It was no wonder that Naru hated her, she had dirt on him and now she was becoming useless to him. He would only keep her around just to keep her from spilling his secret. The fact that he trusted her so little, it broke her heart. She couldn't even score one of those fake dates that she could a year ago.
"A lot's changed in a year," she muttered to herself. "I wonder if Mai's realized how much she's changed as well."
"Uh oh, someone's grabbing seconds! You sure about that?" Shouta teased, startling Mai as she picked up another slice of cake.
She just bumped him aside with her hip. "You are such an ass tonight!" she laughed. "What's wrong with you tonight?"
Shouta just laughed as he picked up another piece as well. "I'm not sure, I might be on a sugar high." He took a bite. "And you left me to the mercy of Michiru."
"True, true," Mai laughed. "Obviously she showed some mercy, you are alive after all."
"Yeah, can't say I came out unscathed, I'm sure I'll have a couple bruises tomorrow," he laughed, then pointed above their heads. "Found another one."
Together they leaned in for a kiss. "You know, the amount of mistletoe in here is starting to get obnoxious," Mai noted with a roll of her eyes.
"Damn, am I that bad of a kisser?"
"Hey, you said it not me," she teased, earning chocolate icing on her nose. "Hey!"
"Just a little payback."
Soon, the party was over and Shouta was driving Mai back to her apartment. "Well, that was fun," she commented as he pulled up to her apartment complex.
"It was," he replied, putting the car in park. "When do you think we are going to meet up again?"
"It really depends on my work schedule, I should be getting out early, since I'm on winter break for school," she replied, rummaging through her bag. "I mean, I'll probably know for sure on Monday-oh!" She turned back around to find her boyfriend holding a box wrapped in a green bow.
He looked down to see his girlfriend holding a smaller box wrapped in a red bow. "Well, great minds think alike, we both pulled out our gifts at the same time," he joked as they exchanged the presents.
"Shall we break tradition?" she offered, with a playful smile.
"Since when have we been traditional? It's the twenty-first century," he joked as they both opened their presents. "Ha! You were paying attention when we were at the mall! How did you know I liked this cologne?"
"Shouta..." Mai let out in a breath. "You shouldn't have…" And he really shouldn't have. Inside the box was a light pink cell phone. "I-I can't accept this."
"Mai, c'mon," he smiled sweetly as he placed a hand on hers. "You need a cell phone, for work and that way, with our schedules we can keep in touch better."
"But Shouta-" He stopped her with a kiss.
"You're welcome," he insisted, then pulled the phone out of the box and turned it on. "I already put my number and Michiru's and Keiko's in there. They already have your number saved in their phones, luckily they haven't blown the surprise. You have unlimited minutes and text and it's combined with my plan. Everything is taken care of."
Mai was flabbergasted, she couldn't believe it. With tears in her eyes threatening to escape. "Why?" she asked, using all her might to keep them at bay. "Why would you do that for me?"
"Why?" Shouta laughed, giving her a hug. "I love you Mai! I felt a connection to you from the moment I met you at the nursing home. As much as I understand your situation and how our schedules take a lot of work to mesh together, I hate not being able to send you a good morning text or call you house phone just to have it go to the answering machine because you are on a case. I like talking and seeing you more than just once a week. I don't know, it just felt right. Plus you could really use it for keeping in touch with Michiru and Keiko when you are on cases."
Mai broke away from their hug just enough to plant one on his lips. They enjoyed the moment for a little while, knowing it was about to end. It was only a matter of time before a police officer knocked on the window to tell them to move the car. So they broke away, Mai's tears had disappeared and she gathered her things and got out of the car. "Thank you, Shouta," she said, leaning into the passenger window. "I love you, too, Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Mai!"
Kiki: Well there you have it!
Mai: I have no words.
Masako: Neither do I, how dare you make me so pathetic
Kiki: You are just a 17 year old girl. You're allowed to be human.
Monk: So much for screen time for us
John: Just be patient, Houshou, we are almost to the next case.
Monk: this is the second time though!
Ayako: Quit your whining none of us really had much screen time other than Mai and Shouta and Shouta's not a main character
Shouta: Hey! I'm right here
Yasuhara: Uh oh! We have to hold Naru back!-Wait! Where is Naru?
Lin: He wished to not take part of this Author's Note, too much work to get done he said.
Kiki: Geez! You guys need to contain yourselves! Next chap! Post Case 2- Advice- Mai is on Winter Break and runs into a few familiar faces.
Jaa nee!