Tea

He hadn't had a cup of tea in months. He couldn't find it in him to drink any - not since Gene had always been the one to make it for him. (He refused to drink anyone else's... It never quite tasted the same.)

He missed the taste. But more than that, he missed the way no matter how irritated Gene got at him, he still made it for him. And he didn't put salt instead of sugar or try and ruin the perfect taste. He missed the way his brother always brought it with a customary witty insult and a smile (though whether the smile was just scheming in disguise depended.)

Tea had always helped him focus. It brought the world into clarity. Thus, it was his answer to everything. Trouble on a case? Tea. Nightmare? Tea. Bored? Tea. Gene (anyone, really, but it was usually Gene) irritating the hell out of him? Tea. Tired? Tea.

Gene said this - combined with his insistence on only a certain person's tea - made him easy to bribe. Not that Gene ever needed to bribe him, as one way or another, his brother could never say no to him for very long. Not that Oliver didn't try...

Anyway, the point is Oliver hadn't drank a cup of tea in months. And he craved the substance like no tomorrow.

Then, Mai came (tripped) into his life. She hadn't been working at the office for very long before she made use of the teapot. She didn't drink tea like Oliver had, but it was obvious she had a preference for it as well.

The smell that came from it was tempting.

Every day, she always asked both silent, stoic men if they wanted a cup. Every day, they declined. But Oliver was close to breaking.

"Naru! Do you want some tea?" Mai called, filling the kettle with water.

Oliver stared at the particularly stubborn file. Yes. He wanted tea. He wanted to drink an entire pots worth of tea. Tea was the answer to all of his life's problems - every. single. one of them. If he could just have a cup of tea...

He called out his answer before he could really think about it. "Yes!"

Mai was a bit surprised - that was a new answer, and she knew that Naru didn't usually change things up. Especially when he was working. He was funny that way. She shrugged, continuing with the process anyway. It didn't matter; he'd agreed.

When she was done, two steaming cups sat before her. She carried one to Naru, placing it on his desk.

"Here ya go!" she chirped.

Oliver wrapped his fingers around the handle, lifting the edge to his lips. He tried not to appear hesitant, for this felt like betrayal. (Not to mention, he was really very particular about his tastes. Especially with tea. Gene just called him picky, but what did he know?)

The first sip was heaven.

Mai made extremely good tea, he decided. Better than Gene. (Another feeling of betrayal, but he was too absorbed in the tea to care at that moment. He could agonize over it later.)

He drained the cup in one fell swoop, placing it back on the saucer. "Mai?"

"Yes?" she eyed him hopefully, waiting for him to thank her. Or perhaps even compliment her - though she wasn't very hopeful on either front.

Instead, his new favorite command fell from his lips. "Tea."

Tauria: So... I was trying to go back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night, and my brain said, "Random creative streak!" And this happened.

This takes place in between the first case and the Doll House case.

Hope you enjoyed!