Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt isn't mine.

Chapter Two: First Date

"Naru," Mai whined, "You said you'd take me on a date three weeks ago! Can't we just go today?" She tugged on her boss's black sleeve pleadingly. Ever since Naru had made his confession of sorts, the two had become much closer. He no longer – for the most part – ordered Mai around like a slave driver, and she no longer – also for the most part – felt that he was an arrogant, conceited bastard, although the nickname 'Naru' had stuck like glue.

"Are you complaining?" Naru asked, leaning nonchalantly against SPR's kitchen counter. He watched as Mai bustled about, preparing him a cup of tea. That, at least, hadn't changed.

"Maybe..." Mai answered evasively. "Please, please, please!" The girl attempted a cute face, and her features scrunched up into an odd semblance of a constipated teddy bear. Her smile faltered infinitesimally, she had been feeling weird all day, but she quickly regained her composure.

Naru groaned, he just couldn't say no to that ugly, but oddly endearing face. "Fine," he smiled grudgingly, unable to avoid the affects of Mai's grin, "Where do you want to go?"

"Uh...?"

"Don't tell me you don't have any ideas."

"Well, I didn't really think you'd say actually say yes."

"You really have that low of an opinion of me?" Naru's eyes were hooded and Mai couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She swayed a bit, grimacing. What is this? So dizzy...

"..." Mai just looked up at him, unsure of how to answer without hurting his feelings.

"On second thought, don't answer that. Let's just go to a movie, okay?"

"Wow, Naru. How original!" Mai said sarcastically.

"You have a better idea?" Naru deadpanned.

"..."

"Okay then, what movie do you want to see?"

"How about a Romance Horror flick? That pretty much sums up our lives anyways..." Mai grinned and placed a warm cup of tea in Naru's hands, "All done. Drink up, let's get going!"

Naru smiled, "How about we forget the tea and just go?"

"But I spent ten minutes getting just the right flavor!"

"Date? Or tea." Naru smirked teasingly.

"Date!" Mai snatched the cup from his hands, threw it unceremoniously into the sink, jotted down a note to Lin, and dragged Naru from the office. "Movie, here we come!"

Naru smiled down at the brunette next to him, ignoring the endless reel of closing credits. Mai had a vise-like grip on his forearm. Go figure. A ghost hunter afraid of ghosts...

Mai grimaced, the movie hadn't actually been that scary, on the contrary, the special effects were rather lacking, but she felt sick. Skipping breakfast to make it to work on time hadn't helped either.

Thoughts began swirling around in her head; everything was blending together in a pool of color. Naru's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down at Mai's wilting form. Black flowers bloomed across her vision as everything disappeared into a dark oblivion.

"Urgh..." Mai groaned. She reached an arm up to massage her pounding temples.

"Mai, are you awake?" Naru's voice filtered down through the fuzz receding from her brain.

"Naru?" Mai creaked open an eye, "What the...?" She looked around, taking in the hospital room. Naru sat beside her in a white chair.

"You fainted on me in the movie theater. What are you doing, trying to starve yourself? The doctor did quite a few tests – you're dehydrated and lacking in a few key vitamins. You need to take better care of yourself!"

Mai smiled faintly, "Sorry. I was just looking forward to you asking me out!"

Naru ignored the above comment and stared down at Mai. She looked so vulnerable and small in the hospital bed. He smoothed a hand over her brow, wiping a few stray hairs from her eyes. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Hi! I'm Serina Tsukiyomi," chirped a perky woman in a white nurse's outfit, "I'm here to take a blood sample, the doctor wants to run a few more tests!"

"Yuck!" Mai paled, she hated needles.

Naru, guessing the reason behind her discomfort, said, "You'll be fine. I'll even hold your hand, okay?"

Mai smiled shyly. He was so nice! "Fine," she answered to the nurse. "I'm not going to like it though."

Naru chuckled at her tenacity, "Just don't watch." The nurse swabbed Mai's arm with an alcohol wipe and inserted the needle into her pale skin.

Getting sick on my first date, Mai thought, gazing up into Naru's blue eyes as she felt a tugging sensation at the crook of her elbow. Lovely, she thought sarcastically. The black haired teen smiled gently down at her, eliciting another blush from the brunette. But, in a way, she happily reconsidered, it somehow is...

the end.

Author's Note: And the oneshot becomes a twoshot: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Revised August 9, 2010.

~Shinigami's Lullaby~