Disclaimer : I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Epilogue

Stage X - The Familiarity & The Comfort

"Would you like some bottled water?"

Mai snapped out of her reverie. She looked at a figure, in front of her behind the table. A tall woman, slightly on the overweight side, with unruly brown hair smiled at her kindly.

"Yes, thank you." She replied, her voice sounding hoarse.

Her eyes followed the slow, graceful movement of the woman's hand as she handed over a tray. A bottle of water and a plate of Yakisoba with a new set of chopsticks in a packet. Some sachets of salt and pepper on the side. Mai bowed slightly as she made the exchange with money. The woman bowed too.

Turning to her right, she looked around for a place to sit. The small cafe was buzzing with life. Mai meandered her way through the bursting cafe before she found a secluded spot against the window. She pulled out the chair, feeling a spark as the cool metal of the handle struck against her skin. Placing her tray carefully on the round, marbled table she made herself comfortable on the chair.

Snapping the chopsticks apart, Mai dug into her food. Ungraceful though it seemed, Mai was too hungry to bother.

She glanced now and then at the pastry section. Her eyes attracted to one particular chocolate coated, heavenly piece of cake lying so temptingly on a silver platter. She probed for her purse in her pocket. Opened it carefully, and noted the almost emptiness.

"Damn."

Glancing at her watch, she nodded to herself. She had fifteen more minutes before she would have to run like a madman to her office.

Stuffing her mouth with noodles, she groaned when she dropped intermittent pieces of fried noodles on her uniform. She could already feel it staining through the fabric. Looking for a tissue paper desperately and finding none on her table, Mai raised her eyes to the counter. A large bunch of tissue papers lying on the counter. She almost got up when a tissue paper got shoved in her face elegantly.

"Ah!" She almost crashed into the stranger's hand. She took the paper with an awkward smile and looked up at the person holding it.

Familiar black hair, familiar blue eyes and a very familiar condescending smirk greeted her. He pulled out the chair opposite to her and seated himself, as if it was very natural to choose a seat opposite to her. Placing his tray on the table, the continued to stare at each other.

"Oh!" Was her intelligible reaction. His smirk widened.

"Not a very polite reaction." He stated nonchalantly. Mai would have taken it as a joke but considering the personality of the speaker, she dismissed the possibility of a joke within a millisecond.

"Excuse me for being impolite," She grumbled and continued in a whisper, "Mr. Perfect."

"I know." He said, plainly.

"What?" Her eyes searched him, surprised.

"I know I'm perfect." He said, sounding almost bored as he stated a most brazen fact.

"Well, why is Mr. Perfect lunching, er, snacking at such a place?" She asked as she eyed his tray. A plate of sandwich and a very prominent teacup. Mai snorted at the sight of a very common utensil. He raised a single eyebrow elegantly and Mai rolled her eyes. Continuing to fumble with her chopsticks, she watched him unwrap his sandwich and take a bite.

"Staring is rude." Naru stated, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"What!" She roared. "I was not staring."

"Deceive yourself as much as you want."

Mai narrowed her eyes dangerously at him and scoffed a very common, "Don't be so sure, you narcissist."

Tearing her eyes from him, she focused them on the tempting section of amazing collection of pastry displayed in front of her. Unconsciously, licking her lips, she looked at her tray. Yakisoba sure looked less tempting now...

"Mai, stop drooling."

"Hm," she replied, unconsciously wiping the corner of her mouth with her hand. Immediately enough, her gaze rose to a smirking Naru. She narrowed her eyes.

"What?" He asked.

"Buy me that cake." Mai said, her thoughts turning into words before she could even process them. She felt surprised at her own request.

"Why should I?"

"Because you are my boss and you pay me so less that I don't have any money left despite being stingy about groceries and clothes and saving every penny I got for New Year from my neighbors." She growled. He looked at her, once again the elegant eyebrow raising itself. She was tempted to roll her eyes but she remained still so that she could seem condescending for once.

"You still get money for New Year?" He questioned.

"Well, yes, I do." She mumbled, all of a sudden quite shy. "I'm still a kid!"

"At eighteen?"

"Yes, dammit!" She growled. Mai could feel her cheeks flaming. She hated it when Naru acted all superior to her. This was all his fault, all his fault, all his fa-

Naru slowly lifted himself and walked to the opposite corner. Standing next to the display he pointed at the chocolate coated cake and she nodded brightly. He smirked at her childishness and purchased it. Bringing the current source of her joy to the table, he sat down once again and pushed the plate towards her. Mai almost went for the cake with her chopsticks. She heard his soft chuckle and blushed to the tip of her hair. Quickly, she reached for the spoon clumsily and scooped a generous piece of the cake.

She could imagine Naru cringe as she closed her eyes in pleasure when the chocolate hit her taste buds but the moment she opened her eyes she found Naru reaching for the cake with a spoon.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Mai hollered. He paid no attention to her and took a small portion of the cake.

"I paid for it."

"Stingy."

Mai watched him eat it. His nose scrunched in disgust as the sugary substance came in contact with his overly sensitive tongue. Mai laughed at his expression. Naru reached for his teacup which turned out to be empty quite conveniently. She once again laughed at his disappointed expression. Finishing the last bite of her cake, Mai got up quickly. Pulling Naru out of his chair, she locked arms with him. Mai looked at him, the slight pink appearing on his cheeks.

She chuckled. Mai was familiar with his comforts and discomforts and she knew that Naru couldn't handle certain aspects of her nature. She grinned at him. His blushed a bit more brightly.

They had grown closer in a matter of months. They were familiar with each other. Comforted by each other. The initial burning passion may have subdued but they were now left with an equilibrium. An equilibrium that made them feel comforted. A feeling of love. A secure, familiar, comforting feeling of love. They knew their strengths, their personalities and their likes and dislikes and Mai could want no more.

They understood each other perfectly.

Mai rushed him to the counter, fished through her purse desperately for some money and asked for some tea. Handing over the steaming cup to Naru, Mai smiled as he took it from her with a small appreciative smile on his face.

"Why did you eat the cake if you hate sweets?" She asked, all of a sudden curious.

"So that you would buy me tea."

Mai saw with horror as the manipulative, condescending smirk made it's way slowly to his lips.

"You-!"

Author's Note: A year later, I'm convinced that the ending was not really great. I decided to play a little with the "meeting in a cafe and then romancing" idea a little and it turned out quite well. There are slight traces of OOCness in both the characters but I feel that is what love does to you. I hope you enjoyed the short insight into their relationship.

Yakisoba: A kind of Japanese fried noodles.

New Year Money: Also known as Otoshidama, is a custom where Japanese adults give money to children for whom they care.

On an ending note, I haven't really proofread so forgive me for all the mistakes I made. Please, leave a word or two behind!