Guess what?!? I got bored!!

This isn't the story I've been planning to do. This is just a little idiocy that I came up with. It's not even funny.

But meh.

Enjoy!

Spin The Kettle

Was it that she had chosen to keep the fact that it was her birthday to herself?

Or was it that she had just completely forgotten...

So when Mai walked into the office of Shibuya Psychic Research, she was incredibly surprised to find the whole office decked out with balloons and ribbons.

"What on earth..." she began as she dropped her bag onto the sofa and went to find somebody to demand an explanation. In the kitchen, she found Ayako and Takigawa, who had their backs to her.

"Ayako, she's gonna walk in any minute! Hurry up!"

"Well, baking cakes isn't something I usually do!"

"But you're a woman!"

"Excuse me? Are you asking for a slap?"

"Did I say, 'Hey Ayako, please give me a slap!' ?"

Whack.

"Yeah, you did."

"Ow. Mumblemumblestupidwomanwhocan'tbakecakes..."

Mai cleared her throat. Takigawa and Ayako spun around with guilty looks on their faces. But when they saw it was Mai, the smiles broke out and they ran to hug her.

"MAI!!!! Happy birthday!" they cried as Mai was swept into a rib crushing embrace.

"How- did- you- know-?" Mai managed to choke out.

"It was written on the calendar. It was lucky we spotted it, or we would have never known!" Ayako said beaming.

"Although we do have a confession to make," Takigawa's face turned sullen. "Because Naru-chan doesn't pay us enough, and because when we left here last night all the shops were closed, we haven't gotten you a present yet. But we will!!!"

Mai laughed. "I don't mind. You don't have to get me anything!" Takigawa was stopped from arguing by the sound of the door opening. The three of them stuck their heads out to watch Naru walk in followed by Lin. Naru paused as he noticed the decorations.

"Am I missing something?" he asked bluntly. The three came out of the kitchen and stood in a line in front of him.

"Well, it's Mai's birthday today!" Takigawa cried, while Ayako nodded and Mai looked embarrassed. Naru's gaze flickered between the three before resting on Mai, who he had to admit was looking rather fetching today.

Was it that there was something wrong with his eyes?

Or was he seeing Mai as something different...

"Oh," was all he said before striding to his office and shutting the door. Takigawa and Ayako rushed to Mai to give her another hug her and to soothe her.

"It's ok Mai," nodded Takigawa to himself and Mai. "He's probably just embarrassed that he didn't know it was your birthday."

"Or, he's just an asshole," glared Ayako at the shut door. Mai smiled and shook them off.

"I don't mind," she laughed, trying her best to hide her disappointment that Naru hadn't known or cared about her birthday. But how was he supposed to know? And why should he care anyway? It's not like she was expecting anything from him...really...well...a 'happy birthday' would have been nice at least... or...a full blown out love confession....

Pff..

Like that would ever happen.

It's her birthday?!?!

Naru found his mind wandering for the fourteenth time (he had been counting) as he stared at the file in front of him.

Why hadn't she told anyone?!?! Weren't women supposed to let everyone know when it was their birthday so that everyone could give them presents?? It wasn't like she was Ayako's age, where she wouldn't want people to know her age...

So why hadn't he known about it?

Actually...why did he care so much about it? Was it really likely that he would have gotten her anything other than a glare and a file for her to put away? So why was he finding it so hard to concentrate?

Maybe....he LOVED HER?!?!

...

Actually...

His thoughts were interrupted by the banging of the door outside his office.

"Naru- chan, how could you possibly not know it was Mai's birthday?" Yasuhara swung the door open and stuck his head in, giving him that fatherly disappointment look.

"Did you remember?" Naru raised an eyebrow, although inside he was getting more and more annoyed that everybody else seemed to know about Mai's birthday and he had had no idea.

"Well, no," Yasuhara admitted, "But John and I have promised to give her a present tomorrow."

"That's nice to know. "Naru looked pointedly at the door. Yasuhara grinned.

"Righto. See you later grumpy chops," he shut the door, leaving Naru alone with his thoughts again.

So.

Before he had been so rudely interrupted.

What had he been thinking of?

Ah.

Mai.

"Right. It's your lunch break, so let's have a party!" Ayako cried as Mai emerged from the filing room at midday. Mai blushed slightly.

"You don't need to have a party or anything, really," she said modestly.

"Well good, because we couldn't afford any food or anything," confessed Takigawa.

"Yeah, we're so sorry Mai," John apologised. (He'd popped in with Yasuhara).

"So sorry," added Masako, covering her mouth with her sleeve. (She'd turned up sometime during the morning.) Mai shot her a dirty look.

"Anyway," Yasuhara smoothly continued before a fight could break out, "I thought that instead of food, we'd play a few games instead."

"Like what?" asked Mai as she settled between Takigawa and John.

Yasuhara's glasses reflected off the light as he smiled.

"Oh, it's just a little game I know... called spin the bottle..."

"Naru." Lin walked into said person's office without knocking. Naru looked up.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going out to meet Madoka for lunch. Do you want anything?"

"No."

"Ok. Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

Lin coughed. "It's just, if you wanted me to get you something to give to Mai, I can buy something..."

Naru frowned.

Should he get her something?

Was that really a Naru-esque action?

"No." He answered Lin. Lin raised his eyebrows.

"Well, find some other way to wish her happy birthday," he answered, giving him a knowing smile. "I know you want to." He shut the door.

Find another way.

Like what?

Make her some tea?

But he didn't want to do that.

....Oh.

For the first time in his life, Naru took note of the slowness of his mind.

But Lin was right.

He wanted to.

So badly.

"...We don't have any bottles," Mai called from the kitchen. Yasuhara looked crestfallen.

"But how can we play spin the bottle without any bottles!!" he cried.

"Does it have to be a bottle?" John asked in his timid way. Yasuhara turned thoughtful.

"Well no, just something that can spin around..."

-

Love.

It had to be the oddest four letter word in the English language. (Of course, if we were in Japan, it would be 'Ai', which in romaji is a two letter word, but please, humour me here.)

It was why Naru didn't like it. Because it wasn't real. Real in the sense that you could touch it or work it out with a formula. It didn't give you a clear answer. There wasn't always an outcome.

And yet, somehow, formulaic and methodical Naru had managed to delve right into the middle of this annoying word, and he was having a hard time finding his way out. Was there a way out?

Or was it just better to stay there, in this strange place called Love?

"Spin the kettle," Yasuhara announced, strangely proud at his 'spin' (hehe) on the traditional game. "It has a nice ring to it."

"So how do you play?" asked John.

"Don't you have this in Australia?" asked Ayako, surprised.

"Well, probably, but I'm a priest." John shrugged, while the others suddenly nodded in understanding.

"Kay. We spin this kettle on its base thingy, and then the handle will point at someone. That person has to either answer a truth or do a dare. Capiche?"

"I think so," John nodded.

"Then here we go!" He spun the kettle for the first time.

I mean, was it so bad if Naru admitted that he felt a bit more than the usual feelings towards his secretary? Falling in love was normal. It was human.

Naru was human.

Thus, using his principle, it was technically very possible for him to be in love.

In fact, taking into account his age, the chance of a normal seventeen year old falling in love (or at least having a crush) was surprisingly high.

So Naru had fallen into the category of 'normal teenagers'.

That was nice to know.

The group on the couches were in hushed silence as the kettle slowly stopped spinning.

Takigawa gulped as the handle pointed towards him.

"Truth or dare...Takigawa..." Yasuhara asked mysteriously.

"Dare!" Takigawa replied defiantly.

"Fine then. Hmmmm....I dare you...to give Ayako a kiss."

"Easy," Takigawa smiled casually as he leaned over John to Ayako. Ayako jumped up with a shriek.

"Eh?!? What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" She shouted at Takigawa. He shrugged.

"It's just a dare, Ayako. Gosh, as if it meant anything..."

"Well, good, because, because it's not like I want it to mean anything, cause, well, I'd whack you one if you ever tried something like that, apart from now, I mean-"

"Oh god," Takigawa groaned, before reaching to Ayako, grabbing her and giving her a kiss on the lips while everyone else went 'oooooh!' "Do you ever shut up?" Ayako went red, but Takigawa suddenly stared at her in a way he never had before, and smiled. Ayako looked away. Yasuhara smiled at his own genius, and spun the kettle again.

There was a lot of noise going on outside.

Naru was in half a mind to tell them to shut up, but for once, really couldn't be asked. It was Mai's birthday. Although, if it got any louder he would have to go out there and make them do some work.

"Masako!" someone shouted. There was some clapping of hands and then silence.

What were they doing?

"Truth," said a quiet voice, followed by lots of shouts and protests. The voice spoke again. "Fine then, dare," it snapped.

Was this some sort of game?

"Yay!" Takigawa cried. He had swapped places to that he was sitting next to Ayako, and every now and then he turned to smile at her.

"I dare you..." Ayako started in a whisper, "To ask Naru out."

"No!" cried Mai. Everyone looked at her. She blushed. "I mean, what if he refuses? That's not fair on Masako!"

"But he won't refuse me," Masako replied, making Mai scowl.

There was a small knock on the door, and without even waiting for an answer, the door opened and Masako walked in. Naru briefly thought about getting a lock for that door, when he noticed that Masako was walking towards his chair. She stopped when she was standing way too close for his liking.

"Naru," she began coyly. "I've got something to say to you."

"Have you got something in your eye?" Naru asked rather rudely in response to Masako's rapid fluttering of eyelashes. She gave a shrill high pitched laugh.

"No, silly!" she flapped a hand. "What I wanted to tell you is, I like you. A lot. So you don't have to worry about unrequited love anymore, because now you know that I love you back! So let's go out for lunch or something, and leave the other stupid losers behind." She smiled.

Naru looked at her blankly.

"Excuse me?"

Masako blinked. "Let's go out!" she repeated.

"Er, no?"

"Why not?"

"How about...because I don't like you? At all? Even though we've been through this four times before and each time I've said no?" Naru heard a snigger from outside the door.

"Oh. Well. Whatever. I only did that because they dared me to," Masako huffed, before leaving and shutting Naru's door.

Naru stared at the closed door.

Idiots...

"Aaw Masako, I'm sorry," Takigawa said with no feeling whatsoever as she joined the couch. "Maybe next time?" Masako glared. Yasuhara spun the kettle again.

"Dun dun dundun dun dun dundun dun dun" he chanted as the kettle revolved round and round, slowing down, its handle pointing at....

"Yasuhara!!" Mai cried. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you...to confess your deep and profound love to Lin," Takigawa dared. Yasuhara smiled.

"I would, but he's gone out for lunch. So.. sorry!" He reached towards the kettle.

"Hey hey hey!" Ayako cried. "You're not getting out of it! You'll just have to do it when he comes back!"

Yasuhara shrugged. "Sure. I've done worse before." The others thought for one gross moment about what he could have possibly done before, but he had spun the kettle again, and this time the handle was on John.

He chose a truth.

"Wait! How come he gets to answer a truth but I was forced to do a dare?" Masako cried.

"Because we know everything about you already. So John! Masako, Mai or Ayako?"

"What about them?"

"Who would you rather sleep with?" Yasuhara asked. The three girls gaped at him.

"What kind of question was that?!?" Mai yelled.

"It was getting boring," he shrugged. "So who is it John?"

John went ferociously red. "Um...I suppose it would be Mai," he mumbled eventually. "Not that I would!" he added hastily. Mai punched the air.

"Ha! I beat you both!!"

"That's not fair!" Ayako yelled. "Why didn't you choose me?! I'm not that old am I?!"

"Well..."

Ok that was it.

Naru had had enough.

"You must be blind John!" Masako cried. "Pick me!"

"Face it guys!" Mai shouted. "I'm the best!"

There was the noise of a door swinging open, and the girls stopped their arguing to look at an angry Naru.

"If I didn't want you to work today, I would have given you the day off," he said icily.

Was he annoyed about the noise?

Or was that he just wanted to join in....

There was a whizzing sound, and all eyes turned to the kettle, which Yasuhara had silently spun amidst the commotion.

"It's Mai's birthday..." John began, his cheeks starting to pale again. Naru shot him a dark look.

Was it that he had said something stupid?

Or was he just jealous over Mai...

The kettle had stopped spinning.

There was a gasp.

"Naru..." Mai murmured.

"Truth or dare...Naru?" Yasuhara asked. Naru was rooted on the spot, staring at the kettle handle that was undoubtedly pointed at him.

"Dare," he blurted out. Takigawa, Ayako, Masako, John, Yasuhara, Mai and Naru were shocked.

But he couldn't take it back now.

"Right then! I dare you Naru-chan to wish Mai a happy birthday..." he grinned slyly "with your mouth..."

Yasuhara groaned and hit his forehead. "You idiot!" he moaned. "You should have let me do the dare!"

"What's wrong with my dare? Do it Naru!"

Naru smiled slightly and crossed his arms. "Happy birthday, Mai," he said to her, making her blush cutely. Takigawa frowned.

"That's not what I dared!"

"You IDIOT!" Yasuhara hit Takigawa over the head, making him yelp and Ayako glare. "Speaking uses your mouth!"

"...Ah."

Yasuhara rolled his eyes and spun the kettle again. As the attention left Naru and went back to the kettle, so Naru cleared his throat.

"Am I speaking in a foreign language?"

"Ssshhhh the kettle's spinning!!" Masako squealed, getting way too excited. (It's because she doesn't have many friends.)

Yasuhara blinked in disbelief.

"Naru...truth or dare...again..."

"If I play along with this stupid game, will you bugger off and do some work afterwards?"

"Sure! Truth or dare?"

"Dare then."

Was Naru trying to compromise?

Or was he just hoping the dare was something that would give him the excuse to

"Kiss Mai." Yasuhara said. "See Takigawa, this is how it's done. Will you do it?"

"Sure."

Masako gasped in horror, and fled from the room. The others raised their eyebrows, before silently leaving to give them some space, (because this was more than just a dare.)

Mai didn't know where to look, but Naru was walking towards her and the others had disappeared, (hiding behind the couches just to make sure.)

"N-Naru," she stammered. "You don't have to do this..."

"Oh?" Naru smiled fully, making Mai's insides turn to jelly. "But I want to."

"Oh. Well-well then I guess that's ok...?" Mai said no more, mainly because she couldn't. Naru had stepped very close to her and was staring into her eyes. For her to be able to talk, her brain would have to send messages to her mouth. Her brain could only send the messages if her heart supplied the blood.

Mai's heart had stopped beating.

Naru put one of his hands through her soft hair.

Mai's heart still wasn't beating, and her brain was beginning to panic.

Naru smiled as he leant down...

"GAH!" Mai's heart decided to start up again, forcing her lungs to take in a gulp of air.

"What's wrong?" Naru asked, about to laugh.

"Just-sorting out-internal-organs-" Mai's breathing slowed and became even, and eventually she smiled up at Naru. "I'm all right now."

"Good," he murmured, and moved so that his lips touched hers.

There was an "aaahh.." sound from behind the couches. Mai put her arms around Naru's neck and clung closer to him.

Two minutes later....

"Eeehhh..." was the noise behind the couches.

Seven minutes later...

"Eeeww..."

"Ok, Naru I think that's enough..." Yasuhara came up from the couches. "I know you like to do things properly, but we get the message..."

"Yeah, I think John's been mentally scarred," Takigawa said. Naru and Mai broke apart, Naru looking entirely unembarrassed, Mai blushing. Naru smirked.

"Happy birthday."

An hour later

Lin walked into the office again and noticed that only Yasuhara was sitting at the couches. The others had probably gone out for lunch or something. As he shut the door behind him, Yasuhara stood up and began to approach him.

Yasuhara and Lin knew each other, but they didn't really know each other. So Lin was very much surprised what Yasuhara took one of his hands and held them with both of his.

"Lin," Yasuhara said with perfect solemnity. "I wish to speak to you on a matter of great importance."

"I see."

"But I don't think you do." Yasuhara shook his head sadly. "Who can blame you? I'd blame myself. " He sighed. "But I'm not making any sense, am I? Well then. Let me explain." He looked down at their hands, and smiled. "This feels nice."

"Does it?" Lin was feeling like a deer caught in headlights and was struggling to find an escape route.

"Of course it does, Lin. Can I call you that? I would really like to, because it's just so more...intimate. Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. Intimacy. That's what I really want. With you, Lin. Lin, the love of my life Lin."

"Uhhh..." Lin was getting desperate. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about."

"How can you not!" Yasuhara cried. "I love you Lin! Since the moment these eyes set on your beautiful face! It was fate! The God's willed it so! How can you not return this perfect love?!? Don't you love me?!? I'LL MAKE YOU LOVE ME DAMIMT!!"

Then, Lin fled, snatching his hand away and half walking half running back to the door and slamming it behind him. He could still hear Yasuhara's cries of love from inside the office.

Was it that he was totally freaked out by Yasuhara?

Or was it that he felt the same way...

Ok. To clear this up.

LIN IS NOT GAY.

Now that's been cleared up, I hope you enjoyed this. I didn't really. Blergh.

If you'd like, please review!!

xxx