#ghw2017

Mai had pondered that possibility all night and lost a bit of sleep over it, but she’d dismissed her own thoughts. Now it was returning with a vengeance. There really only was one way to find out the truth, though Mai was not keen on it. She’d simply have to either steal a look in one when Naru wasn’t around, or misappropriate one for the same purpose. It couldn’t be that difficult right?

Apparently it could. For all that her boss had an affinity for disappearing during their cases and going heavens knew where, when they were in the office, Naru’s behind was glued to his chair. He didn’t even go to the bathroom and this was not something Mai had ever thought would be something she would come to know about her employer. That or Yasuhara had gotten in there when she hadn’t been looking and actually glued Naru to his chair. She wouldn’t put it past him.

As she delivered her usual round of tea for him, Mai discounted that theory though as Naru was standing and perusing his bookshelf; the selfsame one that held a couple of those notebooks she was after. Mai tried not to let her eyes wander over the shelves as she carried the tray of refreshments over to Naru’s desk. As she lifted the cup and saucer from the tray though, Mai almost dropped it when she realized one of the notebooks was sitting on the edge of her boss’ desk, half hidden under another book with a title she couldn’t read thanks to being a little too advanced for her limited knowledge of English. Suddenly Mai felt like all her Christmases had come at once.

Glancing at Naru, lest his stupid sixth sense have alerted him to her incredible luck, Mai continued as she was. She shifted the tray when she deposited the tea, and the small plate of biscuits that accompanied it, and when she collected it into her arms, the notebook was pressed firmly between the broad tray and her chest. “Enjoy your tea Naru,” she said as she walked out of the office, striving to keep her pace from showing her excitement but, as Mai closed the door behind herself, she let out a sigh of relief. Not wasting a moment, she dashed into the kitchen and put the tray aside before swiping the notebook. Mai took a moment to glance around the screen and ensure that Naru hadn’t already noticed the missing book, before she cracked it open.

What she found was certainly not what she’d been expecting.

The rows and rows of kanji reminded her of the workbooks they’d been given in school when learning English; words repeated and to be copied so that students would learn how to write them. Was Naru trying to learn kanji? She recalled him saying to Lin that he was pretty hopeless with the written characters, but she thought at the time that he just hadn’t wanted to do it. As Mai read the words, the attempts at stringing symbols together to form sentences, she actually felt… sorry for Naru. She struggled with English herself, even now, and she knew the difficulty of learning a new language. Given that Naru was a genius, though she wouldn’t confirm that out loud, it had to sting that he was struggling.

She closed the book when it became apparent just what it was and Mai suddenly felt guilty that she’d pried.

“Hey Mai, what you reading?” Yasuhara’s voice rang out from beside her and Mai jumped; barely managing to keep a hold of the notebook as she did. When she glanced at Yasu, he had a smirk on his face, at least Mai thought it was a smirk, and she wondered if he knew what was in Naru’s notebooks or had just seen it over her shoulder.

“Uh it’s nothing,” she replied, shifting the book behind her back to protect it from Yasuhara. Now that she knew what was in them, she didn’t want anyone making fun of Naru for it. Yasu wouldn’t mean any harm but she knew what Naru was like and if they wounded his pride in any way… well they’d spend the next year paying for it. And she felt guilty enough that she knew, let alone being the reason everyone else knew as well.

Yasu seemed to eye her up for a moment, contemplating something, before he shrugged and headed for the fridge, intent on getting himself a drink. Mai thought she was in the clear and went to step out of the kitchen when his voice reached her. “I’d make sure you put that back where you found it. Naru does have an eye for detail after all.” Mai glanced back but Yasu hadn’t even turned to look at her and she wondered if he truly was omniscient or if he just wanted them all to think that. Whatever the reason, he did have a point and Mai didn’t want Naru to know that she was aware of his difficulties. Still that didn’t stop her from wanting to help him somehow.

Mai was still contemplating this as she tucked the book into her desk drawer, because even she wasn’t stupid enough to leave it somewhere Naru might see it, and any hope she’d had of continuing her work went completely out the window as it seemed her mind was locked in that drawer as well. More than once as the day progressed, Yasu startled her out of her thoughts until finally, the day was done and Mai knew it was time to go home. She would have waited Lin and Naru out in order to return the book but she knew her chances of that were about as high as winning the lottery, so she slipped it into her bag, along with one of the files she was still writing up, and bid the men a good night.

The moment she got inside her apartment, Mai put her bag on the table and headed for the closet. Her mother had never thrown anything away, and while Mai had learned that hoarding tendencies weren’t good when one lived in as small a place as she did, she hadn’t thrown everything away. Box after box she tore into them, rifling through until she confirmed they didn’t hold the treasure she sought before moving onto the next. Eventually Mai was surrounded by opened boxes and covered in a film of dust as thick as makeup. She really did need to think about cleaning that out more often. The final box sat before her, and Mai opened it with less gusto as she had the others, certain her quarry must be within. It was the law of the universe that anything was in the last place one looked so, logically, this was the one. Ten minutes, and a healthy dose of nostalgia later, Mai looked at the book she held with an accomplished grin on her face. She couldn’t help flicking through it, noting the name written twice on the inside cover and running her fingers over it with a soft smile. The first was elegant, straightforward and clear to read; the writing of an adult. The second was less so, shaky and slanted and Mai remembered when her mother had stepped her through it as if it were yesterday.

Satisfied with her find, Mai tucked the book into her bag, before removing the black notebook. As she ate her dinner, she looked through it, recognizing many of the kanji inside until she reached a page that made her pause. She’d know those ones anywhere; she wrote them often enough. It was her name, over and over again. The next page was filled with Lin’s name. The next with Yasuhara’s. One after another they were all there in vary states of accomplishment. Something about looking at those pages, at seeing that they mattered enough to Naru for him to learn how to write their names, made Mai close the book softly. It felt like a betrayal of his privacy to know those things; that he thought they mattered in some way, that despite his struggles he still learned how to write their names. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable by how much she had pried, Mai exchanged the notebook for the file and went about finishing the work she couldn’t focus on that day until it was time for bed. Still that feeling wouldn’t leave her and she tossed and turned long into the night until finally exhaustion claimed her.

When Naru arrived at work the following day, he knew he was going to be late. He’d had an appointment that couldn’t be avoided so he had sent Lin ahead while he dealt with it. As he entered the office, he could hear Mai tinkering in the kitchen, no doubt preparing tea for him, and Yasuhara was on the phone with what sounded like a prospective client. Depositing his coat, Naru headed for his office. It didn’t take long to spot the oddity; the thing that didn’t belong in his usually meticulous work space and he frowned as he approached the old, worn book as though it might grow teeth and bite him at any moment. It looked well worn, the spine creased and cracked from being opened and left open one too many times, and he couldn’t help pausing as he saw the lettering across the front. Learning Kanji. Immediately, he glanced to the bookshelf where his workbooks were collected; minus the one he’d noticed go walk about yesterday. Clearly someone knew what was in them. Naru paused as he considered the implications. He’d noticed the book missing yesterday, but with no concrete proof, he couldn’t just demand it back from one of his assistants. Not without drawing attention to them even further.

Taking a slightly steadying breath, he opened the cover to see one of the few sets of kanji he could recognize without checking now. ‘Mai Taniyama’ was written in two hands on the inside and Naru actually felt himself relax. Part of him had known if Yasuhara had been the culprit, it was going to cost him in some way. And he doubted the younger male would have thought to give him an obviously well used textbook on the subject. The evidence all pointed to Mai, but it was a relief to know that was the case. A moment later, the girl in question entered his office with a knock, carrying a tray with a single cup on it. She paused, obviously catching sight of him holding open the book she’d left, and Naru watched on with a small amount of fascination. Would she run? Or would she face the fact that he so obviously knew it was her? Eventually she straightened and continued forward. So she had decided to face him. Neither of them spoke as she put the cup down on the desk he stood behind, and she reached out to place the missing notebook alongside it.

Despite the fact she’d technically stolen from him, Naru didn’t feel like berating Mai, even if his pride stung a little that she knew he practiced. This time, she didn’t wait for a thank you like she usually did, clearly she didn’t want to linger any more than necessary, but just as she went to pass through the open doorway, Naru couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Thank you Mai.”

*         *         *

Noll knew that they were part of something dark, something wrong, even if his 9-year-old mind couldn’t fully comprehend what it was.

Rasputin had given them things the boys had never dreamed of, a warm home and warmer food, fine clothes, an education. But Noll saw it as he walked by his master’s side amongst noble and common folk alike.

He recognized the sideways glances when they thought Rasputin couldn’t see them. The fear and distrust—no, disgust—that hid behind false smiles.

He felt it in the fact that Rasputin only allowed one of them out with him at a time. How he only referred to them as “my boy” if he was forced to acknowledge their presence beside him. He knew it in the way the others had begun not so secretly calling them his “creature” instead.

He understood when Rasputin commanded him and Gene to pilfer small objects from those they met with. How later Rasputin would force Noll to use ‘his gift’ to pull secrets from the objects until he and Gene were both so tired that the servants would have to carry them through the wall passages back to their room. Leery eyes trained to their exhausted forms as if they were venomous snakes that could wake and attack at any moment.

Noll didn’t know his master’s plans or how their roles supported him in his influence of others and sowing dissention against the Romanovs. But he knew that something was building around them and it would only end badly.

He knew, and he said nothing. And again, he knew why. It was that same squint, that same dark coil that ensnared all those that knew Rasputin. Fear.

Fear of what might happen to Gene should Noll refuse or even question the will of their master. Rasputin was a smart man, in the most horrible of ways. It was as if he could look into the eyes of a person and instantly know how to make them his. And it had not taken him any time to mark Eugene as Noll’s weakness. So, Noll said nothing of the gathering storm.

Besides, who would he tell? There was Lin, a vikont who had refused to cower to Rasputin when all his peers had done so. The man had approached him with his greetings more than once, but Noll knew he would never take the word of one of Rasputin’s creatures seriously.

To complicate things, Gene had taken to watching the princesses and prince of late. Once he had even joined their highnesses at play.

Noll’s stomach had been in knots the whole time he had watched them from their window. But he couldn’t bring himself to go down to stop Gene from having fun, being normal, just this once. He had always known that he could never pass for ‘normal’, but Gene... Gene could smile, laugh. Just like any other child. So, didn’t he deserve at least a moment to live the life he should have and possibly could have had, had he not been born Noll’s twin?

Instead, Noll had found him after their games and reminded him that they had no place playing with them.  That they had no place playing with anyone.

Gene had refused to let him into their room that night and Noll had slept alone for the first time on the sofa in the study. Only to awake the early the next morning with Gene curled up beside him. Noll had taken his brother’s hand in his own and let himself sleep in that morning.

Only a few months later they had tempted fate a second time. Gene had watched the guests arrive for the ball from the window of their room. Marveling at the gilt and glamor and the way it light up the night, reflecting off the ice and snow. He had begged Noll to let him sneak out to see the ball first hand. And finally, despite the tightening of that heavy coil in his gut Noll had agreed. They used the servant’s passages within the walls and followed the growing sounds of life to the ballroom.

Gene had promised to only watch, but it wasn’t long before the pageantry of the evening had pulled him further and further from safety. Noll had called out to him silently across their mental link. Reminding Gene of the risk should anyone see him. Gene had ignored him, his attention locked by the pageantry that surrounded him.

When one of the servants caught sight of Gene, Noll feared the worst. But they had mistaken him for a kitchen boy and after a quick scolding had sent him back towards the kitchen.

Through their link Gene attempted to calm Noll’s fears. Promising to meet him in the passages near the kitchen.

But Noll didn’t head back towards the kitchen. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was madness. Instead he found his feet moving forward, peering from his hiding place to see all the pomp and majesty that was so close and yet part of another world. He watched the room pulse and sway with color and life. It was intoxicating.

A giggle burst atop the overture of the room and pulled his eye. One of the young princesses (Matryona, the youngest girl, he had been taught in his lessons) was being lifted in the air by her father, the Tsar. She beamed as she floated above him, bright laugher continuing to bubble from her mouth. Her smile was infectious, and it widened the grins of all those around her. Just as he had seen her do with Gene and the others when they were at play.

Set down, she ran to her grandmother, burying herself in the warm arms of the Dowager Empress, joy radiating from her every movement. Noll was dumbfounded, enraptured in ideas of family and comfort that he had never even considered. Because of this he didn’t even notice when the man picked him up and began carrying him away with a grumble of ‘didn’t I tell you to get back to the kitchens boy’.

*         *         *

The night of the revolt, Gene was once again at their window. But this time he watched in horror as the dark of the night was swallowed up by the angry oranges and reds of torches and fires. When the rioters broke through the gate and stormed the palace he panicked. Noll attempted to calm him, explaining what he knew of the situation and Rasputin’s role in all of it. Noll told Gene that because of this it was unlikely that anyone one would come for them. That they would be safe should they remain in their room.

But it was not himself Gene was worried for, it was his friends. Noll couldn’t understand what Gene meant. It was then that Gene confessed that he had met with the royal children on more occasions since that first day. Noll was staggered, Gene had kept this secret from him? But why?

“Because I knew it would only make you worry”, Gene explained when Noll asked.

Gene begged for his brother’s help to save his friends and Noll relented. Noll unlocked the door with his PK and they set out through the secret passages once more.

They had searched, but the chaos outside the narrow space within the walls made it near impossible to recognize anyone. Noll had nearly given up hope when Gene said that he saw one of his friends. They ran in the direction Gene had seen, reaching one of the nurseries. The finery of the furniture and toys glinting in the coppery light. There amongst the glow was Matryona and her grandmother. They had to help them escape. Gene turned back to his brother and could see that Noll was frightened. He couldn’t hide it from Gene.

Gene was frightened too. He didn’t want Noll out of his sight, but danger lurked around every corner. Gene told Noll to hurry on ahead in the tunnel to check to make sure they were still alone between the walls.

Noll wanted to argue, but gave Gene a strong nod before heading down the passage, quickly turning from view. Gene opened the hidden door, instinctively ducking as a crash sounded from outside the room.

*         *         *

Noll waited, pressing himself against the wall of an adjoining passage as he watched Matryona and her grandmother flee past him. He waited, ears straining to hear the sound of his brother following them in their escape. He waited, calling out through their link for Gene to hurry up. But he received no reply.

Noll made his way back to the nursery, encouraging his anger along the way as it was much better than the fear that lingered beneath it. But when he arrived, the wall door was shut. And when he pushed it open he found the room was empty, the furniture and toys in the room, trampled and smashed. Noll called out again for his brother, but there was nothing.

Heat rolled in from the door to the hall. Noll noticed something glint on the floor by his foot. Without thinking he reached for it. He barely had time to register its gilded decadence before the vision pulled him in.

He knew whose hands it was he saw pushing the secret door closed, sealing away the only means of escape. He understood, in horror, as the view swiveled to the hall door and to the men that were there. He felt his brother’s fear, trapped, as the men came into the room. Frenzied from the anger of their sufferings they didn’t even hesitate as they cut Gene down. His bleeding form only one more destroyed thing left behind in their wake.  He heard his own calls, his pleads for Gene to hurry, petty and needy sounding in his own ears. He could feel Gene smile in response to his voice, his mental presence.

And Noll knew that smile. A smile that had gotten them food when they had been starving. A smile that had made friends with royalty despite the very idea being impossible. A smile that Noll could pretend was his own so long as Gene wore it, despite never having been able to duplicate it.

A smile, he now understood, he would never see again.

Alone again, Noll dropped the ornate box from his fingers. His knees hitting the ground only seconds later. Around him the palace burned, the cries of the unfortunate ringing out, but he did not notice. His brother was dead.

Noll could not remember crying before this moment. Misery had always resulted in a hollow feeling that had been quickly repressed as he turned to address the unhappiness of his brother. But now, there was no one else’s sorrow to brush aside his own. Hot, sticky tears ran down his face and into his open mouth as he wailed.

*         *         *        

It was there that Lin found him. Sobbing amongst the ruin and the smoke. He grabbed the boy, who offered no resistance, and as an afterthought the extravagant box that rested next to him, making his way out of the room. He stopped, shocked to see a copy of the boy in his arms across the room, half buried in the debris. His large blue eyes wide and empty. He could not save that boy, but Lin thought he could still manage to get him out of this place. He was half way towards him when loud shouts filtered in from the hall once more. If he stayed to gather the second one he only risked the life of the first. So, he fled, Noll heavy in his arms.

Lin used what money and connections he had left to secure them a small place in the slums of St. Petersburg. Money was tight, but Noll was quick to discover that the secrets harvesting and trickery Rasputin had previously used he and his brother for had merit in his new life. Between his silver tongue and small uses of PK he could con or pickpocket any number of unsuspecting marks. When over zealousness in PK usage had left him bedridden more than a handful of times, Lin finally put his foot down.

When they lost their flat, Noll only grumbled once that they could have kept it should Lin let him really work the crowd. Instead, he took to finding them better accommodations. Grander accommodations.

To say Lin was surprised when Noll showed him through the hidden passageways and into the heart of the long abandoned and looted palace would be an understatement. Lin had known that the boy had always been reserved to the point of coldness, but he had never expected Noll to choose to return to this place.

It was only temporary of course, Noll had explained. And it was the most logical choice. With the rent anywhere else they would never be able to make enough to get out of St. Petersburg. With this option they had a chance. Lin could not argue against his logic so he agreed, but it didn’t take him long to notice that while Noll was willing to be here, he would not set foot down the eastern wing.

Eventually, they came up with it. The way to get out. The city was abuzz with rumors of the princess Matryona’s survival. The last Romanov! And the word was that her grandmother in Paris was paying a reward to whomever found her! It was perfect. They knew the history and they had the music box.

Yes, there it was! Scooping it up, Mai brought the small bundle of fur into her chest. She could feel how cold it was, shivering near violently against her chest. Pulling her jacket over the small thing she hurried out of the alley and towards the office. The warm office would be far better for the small creature than trying to gather warmth from her chest was. The walk through the snow was nearly heart stopping for Mai- several times she thought that the small beast against her chest had passed away on her mission to get to the office. Yet each time it picked up just as she was about to worry. By the time she had reached the office her hair was soaked with snow and slush, flakes still stuck to strands and her eyelashes. Without any warning beyond experience, the words “Mai, you’re late. Tea!” sounded from the nearly closed door as she tossed her schoolbag onto the couch. Apart from the sound of Lin typing in the other room, it was silent. Mai snorted.

“Yes sir, on the way!” She retorted, keeping the bundle of fur pressed close against her. Glancing at the clock on the wall (six hours left) Mai pulled the critter closer and headed into the kitchen, sliding her phone out of her pocket with one hand. She sent a text asking Monk to pick up two pet bowls, a can of wet food, and a blanket along with a wand toy just for the next few hours. A series of question marks was what she got in return, but Mai didn’t answer. Between trying to juggle her current jacket-passenger and make tea her hands were full. Knowing that she’d need both hands to carry the tray into Naru’s office, Mai tucked her jacket up inside of itself, providing a cushion for the critter that was, thankfully, no longer shaking against her. Humming as she worked, Mai set up the tray that she used to take the tea into Naru. Spoon, sugar cubes, plate for the cup, cup, requests for investigations she’d taken yesterday… Once everything was ready she carefully picked up the tray and headed for the office.

Knowing by now that Mai was not coordinated enough to open the door with her hands full, Naru left the door open just enough for Mai to stick her foot in and pull it open. She did so, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she kept the tray balanced so that the tea didn’t splash out of the cup. Although he acted irritated, Mai had a hunch that Naru found it amusing her balance was abysmal enough that even opening a door with her foot caused a loss of balance able to send her shaking and nearly spilling his tea, even with two hands balancing the tray. The way he stopped what he was doing and watched without offering any help every time strongly suggested her hunch was correct.

“Here you go, Naru!” Mai said chipperly as she brought the tea in. “Tea in your favorite way; hot, made by me, and with a stack of potential cases for you to go through.” A twitch of Naru’s cheek hinted at a smile, but a twitch of his eyebrows hinted at annoyance.

“Will you ever let that go?” He asked with a sigh despite knowing the answer already.

“Nope!” Was the much-too-enthusiastic response. Not long after his return from England, Naru had let it slip nobody had made his tea quite as well as Mai had and so he had refused to have any made by anyone other than himself. Since hearing that, Mai found various ways to incorporate it into a conversation between them at least once a day. It normally resulted in a mixture of irritation and amusement from Naru, and on a few memorable occasions when he had been in a particularly good mood, a smile. “So, did you hear about Ayako? Probably not, that’s my job, isn’t it? And not one I get paid for, either… Well, she called me last night, demanding I go shopping with her because my wardrobe is apparently abysmal, but apparently she met this guy and he…”

While Mai was setting the tray on Naru’s desk, prattling away about the news of their team, she failed to notice his sharp eyes examining her. As she made to walk out the door she was stopped by the sound of her name.

“Mai,” Naru said, and she turned curiously, “Are you okay?”

“Of course I am, why?” Mari asked in confusion. Naru picked up a sugar cube, sticking it close to his mouth instead of in his tea. He had a surprising sweet tooth for the things and Mai had discovered a few with his tea generally served to improve his mood no matter what.

“The way you set the tray down- normally you bend over, but you just bent your knees instead.” He answered her with raised eyebrows, and Mai focused on not glancing into her jacket. “Not to mention you are also still wearing your jacket in the office, which you hardly ever do unless you’re sick once you’ve arrived, even if I’ve requested tea. You’re also rather agreeable and talking more than you normally do when you bring me tea. When you talk this much, you generally are trying to distract me.”

Mai stared at Naru as he narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, reaching for the tea cup. The fact that he knew her so well combined with the fact that he suspected – correctly – that she was hiding something had Mai trying to think fast to explain it away.

“No, I- I’m fine.” From the way his eyes narrowed just a bit further, he hadn’t bought it. “Really, Naru. I’m just a little extra cold- it’s snowing out there, and the trains were delayed so I was out longer than normal. I had thought you’d want to know what’s going on with our team, as well, which is why I was talking. Of course, is that bothers you I can stop.” Mai said sweetly, earning a snort from her boss. She glowered at him for a moment- she could hear the ‘No you couldn’t,’ without him needing to speak, and from the look he was giving her, he knew exactly what was going through her mind. “I hate you.” Mai snapped, turning and stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind her. There might have been some laughter from her boss, but the door effectively shut it out. Huffing and crossing her arms, Mai turned her head towards Lin’s office. After a moment of thought, she crept towards it.

“Lin?” She asked, knocking on the door before she stuck her head in. The Chinese man made no movement to show he heard her, but Mai had no doubt he had. “Do you still have that blanket in here- the one I left just in case I got caught in a downpour again without an umbrella?” At the question, Lin turned to look at her. Though his face remained mostly blank there was a curious tilt to his mouth. He reached over to one particularly deep drawer and opened it, pulling out the aforementioned towel. A hideous thing, it was once a bright pink with a floral pattern, though it was now faded. Mai’s face lit up as she saw it. “Awesome, thank you!”

“What do you need it for?” Lin asked curiously as she walked over quickly to get it. Towel in hand, Mai glanced over her shoulder.

“Don’t tell Naru?” She asked quietly, looking back to the other SPR employee. Lin nodded and Mai grinned mischievously, unzipping her jacket slightly and poking the creature out so that the too-large ears and eyes were revealed. It let out a pathetic noise, quiet but still louder than it had been in the alley. Lin’s eyes widened and he lifted a hand to his mouth, chuckling as he looked up at Mai. “It’s a surprise! Don’t tell him!” She said again, bringing the towel up.

“I won’t tell him. Are you sure he’s going to like it?” Lin asked, turning back to his computer.

“Not at all, but I’m sure it’ll be like me and grow on him!” Mai replied with a wide grin. She earned another chuckle in response and felt accomplished. “Thank you, Lin!” She repeated before retreating from the office, mostly closing his door once more. In the front room, Mai put the towel on the table and then unzipped her jacket. From inside of it, she grasped the little grey form and brought it out. The kitten mewled unhappily, clearly seeing the removal from its warm, dark shelter unacceptable. “Sorry, little one. It’s just for a little bit.” Mai whispered, setting it on the towel and wrapping it up into a burrito. Until Monk arrived with the food, it was just going to have to try and stay warm. The kitten snuggled into the towel, closing its eyes and purring softly. Mai grinned and pulled her homework out of her schoolbag- the office was as clean as it was going to be for now, and there were no clients scheduled to come in today. Walk in clients were always a possibility, of course, but on a day such as today, Mai highly doubted they would come in.

It was less than half an hour after her text that Monk arrived, a pet store bag in his hand and Ayako trailing after him talking about the guy she had been talking with the night before.

“So, where is it?” Monk asked as he set the bag down beside Mai. Raising a finger to her lips, Mai pointed at the burrito-cat on the table, snoozing. The man knelt down, picking up the towel-wrapped creature and grinned. “Naru is going to love this. Have you named it yet?” Monk asked, poking the kitten’s forehead with his finger softly before petting it. The young creature grumbled about it, opening its eyes to glare at Monk with bright blue eyes.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve just been trying to keep it warm- I don’t even know what gender it is.” Mai replied, digging through the bag. “Keep an eye on it, I’m going to put water in this bowl so it has something to drink.” She stood up with the bowl and headed into the kitchen. When she returned just a few moments later after rinsing it out and filling it, the kitten was being held up to Ayako’s chest while she stared at Monk who was staring at the canned food critically. Setting the water down on the floor, Ayako set the kitten in front of it. Immediately the kitten went to the water bowl, lapping it up while Monk finally opened the can and put it in the other bowl, setting it beside the kitchen.

“It’s a boy,” Ayako said to Mai as Monk put the food down. “I’d say almost six months old. I did some googling on our way here- he’s not got molars yet, but it looks like they’re coming in.”

“Oh. I probably should have done that. I just- when I found him he was so… Frozen. I didn’t even think of-“

“Letting him go?” Monk broke in with an expression that contained a smirk as well as wiggling eyebrows. Both Mai and Ayako made faces at him.

“I was so intent on getting him warm,” Mai repeated with a groan, grinning a little at Monk, “that I didn’t even think to look at what gender he was or how old he was.”

“That makes sense, I suppose. So, did you think of any names for him?” Ayako asked, and Mai shook her head.

“Naru wanted tea as soon as he heard me come in, and I’m pretty sure he suspects there’s something here that shouldn’t be.” Mai replied, shrugging. “I don’t know what we should call him, though- I feel like calling him ‘ghost’ is in bad taste, especially considering we hunt ghosts.”

“Could always call him Ge-” Monk began, only to be cut off by Mai’s words as well as a disapproving grunt from Ayako.

“I’m not calling him Gene. Best case scenario, it upsets Naru somehow. Worst case scenario, Gene actually finds a way to inhabit that kitten’s body, and I’m not dealing with that.” Mai declared, denying the name vehemently. Monk sighed and shrugged.

“Might need to wait and see how he grows up, then. There’s no rush to name him, after all.” Monk reasoned. Mai nodded and looked as the kitten sniffed at the wet food before digging in.

“I’m going to need to get a few things for him… Litterbox, more food, toys…” She murmured, glancing at the still-shut office door. Ayako hummed.

“You shouldn’t have any trouble with that, especially now that you…” The older woman raised her eyebrows and smirked at Mai, leaning forward until the younger woman’s face turned red.

“Stop that!” Mai demanded, “I have homework, stop bothering me about that!” Despite her words, she reached for the toy wand inside the shopping bag instead, causing Monk to laugh.

“You know, if you don’t pay attention to your courses, you’re going to fail college, and then what will you be?” He teased as Mai tried to ignore him in favor of playing with the kitten.

“…Working here full time instead of part time.” Mai finally responded despondently, hunching over with an irritated look on her face. It was clear she was not pleased about being reminded she had to work even harder in college than she had in high school. It had been easy enough in high school- her school had been very lenient with her orphan status, as well as her work. College was less so- it was more demanding, and less forgiving. Much like Naru, in some aspects. Yet Mai thought she would prefer dealing with Naru to going to college, even on his worst days. With a sigh of defeat she handed the toy over to Ayako, watching the kitten chase after it, and got out her homework.

The next half-hour passed with Monk and Ayako playing with the kitten while Mai scowled and cursed her homework, slowly working through it. The older pair helped her where they could but even her homework was a bit much for them. Mai had almost finished her homework when the phone rang. Eager for a chance to avoid her homework, she hopped up and hurried to it, picking the phone up. It was a potential client, asking for a consultation time. The conversation lasted for a few minutes while Mai took down what they could tell her and explaining that her boss would look it over and decide their course of action. She thanked the person for calling before glancing at the clock- four hours and forty five minutes before she could go home. Sighing, she returned to the table.

Eventually, Monk and Ayako had to leave. Mai thanked them for their help, stuffing her homework into her schoolbag once they were gone. She cleaned the bowl that had had food in it, glancing in the pet store bag to see there were more cans of food inside of it. Biting her lip, Mai stared at the currently-sleeping kitten while trying to figure out how to tell Naru of their little… visitor. He would almost definitely be upset with her for bringing a cat into the office without asking, but really, what would he have told her? Leave it out in the cold to die? Not even Naru was that heartless. He could be rude and off-putting to people, for sure, but animals? No, Mai refused to believe that. Not even Naru would do that. Still, she tried to think of the best way to introduce the cat to her boss.

As the day slowly passed Mai took several more phone calls, cleaned up the office a bit, straightened the jackets in the closet, folded the towel up and returned it to Lin’s room, played with the kitten, and took Naru tea several more times though she was careful to do it ‘normally’. The kitten, for the most part, remained quiet and still. He skulked on the back of the couch, slinked into the kitchen, scrambled up onto the bookshelf where he stared down at Lin walking through and Mai doing her chores. Mai smiled at him before going to ask Naru if he wanted her to grab food for him while she was getting a late lunch. It was then, close to the end of the day, that Mai made her mistake. Instead of shutting the door as she had been every other time, knowing Naru like his privacy, she left it open after teasing him about getting some fresh air, and left the building.

It was only when she returned, hot food from the restaurant next door in a bag in her hand, that not informing Naru came back to bite her. Calling out that she had returned to her boss, Mai frowned when she heard no response from him. No response from Naru was quiet uncommon, especially after he had asked her to get food for him. Curious, Mai headed for his office. The silence of the office was more foreboding than it normally was, somehow. As she poked her head through the door Mai felt as though she should have simply walked back out, or not walked towards the office at all. Perhaps she should have dropped the food off with Lin and eaten hers on her own.

When she walked into Naru’s office she was met by a pair of extremely unamused dark blue eyes. For a moment, Mai was confused as to why Naru was giving her such a look. When she looked on his desk, she gulped. The little grey cat had his paws on the desk, his lower half disappearing behind the wood- presumably resting on Naru’s lap. Upon seeing her, the adorable little traitor let out a sound that was between a purr and a meow before hopping onto the desk, running across it, and then wrapping itself around Mai’s ankles. Both of the other sets of eyes in the room followed it before meeting.

“Mai,” Naru began calmly, “why is there a cat in the office?”

“Kitten, actually. He’s a kitten. I’d assume someone brought him here, honestly. Last I checked, kittens couldn’t open office doors. Neither can cats, as far as I know, actually.” Mai said smartly, walking forward to deposit the food on the counter to try and seem as though she wasn’t nervous.

“Funny.” Naru told her though the expression on his face suggested the opposite. “And who brought it in here? Lin didn’t, it couldn’t have come in with a client because there haven’t been any today. I highly doubt it was the monk and the miko; though it is possible, they would have taken it with them. Which leaves you.”

Mai sighed and knelt down to pick the cat up, pressing it against her chest in a way similar to a mother holding her child. “I found him on my way to work today.”

“It’s been here all day?” Naru asked, eyeing the cat. Mai couldn’t tell if he was upset or surprised.

“Yes, he has. As I was saying, I found him on my way to work today. I passed an alley and heard him inside. I walked in, and picked him up. He was practically frozen, Naru, I couldn’t leave him there!” Mai exclaimed, clutching at the kitten. “He would have frozen to death, and I couldn’t just let him die. So I picked him up, and stuck him in my jacket, and brought him here. I was going to take him home after work. I am going to take him home after work.” She told her boss, voice firm. He stared at her blankly, gaze falling to the kitten after a moment. The silence sat for a moment, stretching longer. Mai hated it- Naru was the king of long, awkward silences that made her feel guilty because she did something that wasn’t necessarily wrong but yes, she should have told him.

“I’m sorry, Naru, I should have told you about the kitten. I didn’t want to distract you from work or anything, and I didn’t think he was important enough that you should need to worry about him. He’s honestly been practically silent- like a ghost. He just climbs on stuff and stays there, watching. I didn’t tell you, and I should have, if only so that you knew to be aware of a cat in the office.” She caved after a long moment, petting the kitten’s head. He purred, bumping the top of his head against the bottom of her chin. She grinned down, giggling, and then lifted her hand as he used his paws to climb up and onto her shoulder. “I’ll take him home and he’ll never have to come back, I just couldn’t kick him out or leave early, and I got my homework done, even. He hasn’t been a distraction at all, or-”

“Mai. Stop talking.” Naru interrupted, rolling his eyes though there was the hint of a smile on his face. “I wasn’t going to tell you to get rid of it. Him.” Her boss sighed, pushing his chair back and standing. “I understand why you brought him here, but you should have told me. What if he had been injured, hm? Had made a mess? Have you even seen him… Defecate at all?” Her boss asked, and Mai flushed before clearing her throat.

“He may have, ahem. Defecated in the plant down the hall at one point… Or two… The one belonging to that, you know… Gentleman with the… Mustache. And the glasses. Who complained that one time about our office being more space than we needed, and that our business was a scam.” Mai coughed, and by the way Naru’s mouth was twitching it seemed he was trying to decide between being annoyed or amused. Eventually the latter won and he snorted, leaning against his desk and shaking his head.

“How do you manage to…” He murmured, lifting a hand to his face as he mumbled the rest of the sentence into it. It was quiet for a moment before Naru looked at her again. “Okay. All right. Mai, you can’t just-”

Before he could finish the statement, the cat let out a loud, long, high-pitched baby’s meow. Mai looked at the cat on the shoulder, who was staring straight at Naru. Behind her, the silvery tail was slowly moving. When Naru opened his mouth to speak again, the kitten narrowed his eyes and let out a sound that was very similar to a chirping noise. The kitten and the man seemed to have a sort of a face-off for a moment before Naru looked at Mai once again.

“Please Naru? Let me keep him? He won’t have to come to the office again, I promise.” Mai said quietly, giving her boss her best doe-eyes. Between the combined weight of Mai’s large brown eyes, and the cat’s blue ones, Naru sighed again.

“All right. Fine. You can keep it.” He said, grimacing a little. “But don’t do this again, Mai. If you see a cat on the street, just… Don’t bring it to the office.” Naru glanced at the cat. “Take it to an animal shelter. Or something. But not your place of work.”

“I won’t next time, Naru! If there is a next time, I promise.” Mai cheered, picking the cat up off her shoulder. She pressed a kiss to its nose before turning it and present it to Naru. The two faced off for a moment before the cat lifted a paw to Naru’s cheek, leaning forward to lick his nose. Mai grinned widely. “Look, you even have his approval!” Though Naru appeared disgruntled at the declaration, Mai ignored his expression in favor of pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“You’re ridiculous.” Naru stated. “Come on. Let’s go get your cat proper food and bedding and get it home. You’d better let Lin know we’re leaving early today because of your cat.”

“Of course, of course. Here, hold onto him, I have to go make sure all my stuff is packed. I already know yours is- and you’re leaving it here. I know you.” Mai shoved the kitten into Naru’s arms, skipping out of the office feeling much lighter than she had in the morning. The threat of this confrontation had been looming all day, and it had turned out much better than she could have hoped. “Lin,” She called out, “We’re leaving early! We’ll see you tomorrow!”

Naru stared at the cat in his arms, unsure what to make of it as his girlfriend abruptly left the room. The kitten stared back, unblinking. “You,” He said after a moment, “had best take good care of her.” Naru spoke quietly to the cat, rubbing the top of his head slowly with one finger. “She lets herself get swallowed by her heart. Of course, that is something to be loved about her, but she has a tendency to let it get out of hand. Like you today.” The young man’s face twisted into annoyance before he sighed and walked towards the door to exit the room. “But, you’ll take keep her safe just as well as I would, won’t you? You are not so ordinary of a cat…”

Moments later, the small family left the office to better prepare for the sudden arrival of the newest member while Lin texted Madoka of the development, laughing openly about how weak Naru could be when it came to Mai and wide-eyed cute things.

♦♦♦♦ 

They wound up calling the cat Haunt, at Naru’s suggestion after watching how the cat preferred to take the highest points in a room to stare down, ‘haunting’ them. Mai decided to get a halter and a leash, and Haunt surprisingly took well to it. Perhaps because of his age they managed to train him to walk on the leash, sit, and stay. He returned to the office after a few months, Mai no longer able to take his wails as they left and Naru no longer able to take the guilty looks he received from his girlfriend. Thankfully, Haunt was well-received by both clients and the rest of the team. Fluffy and tolerant, he helped calm those who came in to report cases and as for help.

It was during an emergency case where they’d had to leave immediately, Haunt included, that he really earned his keep. Upon the approach of an angry ghost Haunt let out something similar to a war cry, alerting the team what was on its way. He became an alarm as well as a barricade during the case, swatting at the ghost when it got too close- especially at one point when it got too close to Mai and no one was able to help without endangering her further. He became a complete staple to the team after, taking his job as a protector of Mai seriously. When ghosts got too close to the girl he attacked them with an irritated air, as though he was being inconvenienced- which Mai claimed he got from Naru.