The Little Moments

A/N: Noticed a lack of Yasuhara and Mai romance + attack of inspiration. And here it comes. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.

He stands before her front door, heart thudding against his ribs as he purses his lips, fist raising to knock, then his arm falls limp to his side again. There is no turning back after this. He wavers, moving to the blind spot of her peephole as he contemplates if he should go ahead with his original plan.

It's simple, Osamu, he berates himself, knock, look in her eyes and make a dramatic declaration of love.

He presses his palm against his forehead in exasperation. No, real life doesn't work that way. His gut clenches uncomfortably as he shifts his weight from one foot to another. This is terrible - he can't stand here the entire night. She is expecting him to arrive and any moment now she may just slam open the door and see him standing there like an idiot. He sighs, remembering the nervous rambles of the girls who had confessed to him and gives a silent apology to each of them: he never knew how difficult it was to lay your own feelings bare.

Till now, that is.

When did he start to feel this way? Honestly, he has no idea. It had all started with a coincidental meeting at the SPR office a week after Naru left. The two actually weren't as close as people perceive: it was quite awkward when they were actually left alone with talking to be their only option. But Yasuhara has his smooth talking skills after all, and the stagnant atmosphere was quickly dissolved as she relaxed, and he had realized then that she was much more interesting than he gave her credit for.

Knock, knock.

"Ah, Yasu!" The chirpy, bright voice is heard before the door even opens and he is greeted by a beam on the brunette's face as she gestures him in. "Come on in!"

He sees the usual mess on her dining table where her books lay scattered, unorganized and spread out. He bends down and picks up a page of her essay from the floor, waving it in her face, which reddens in response. "Mai," he says dryly, "this has to be the most feminine sight I have ever had the pleasure of admiring."

She tries to snatch her paper from his hand but he raises it above her head, the height difference playing to his advantage. The red on both her cheeks darkens; probably from both anger and embarrassment. He chuckles softly: she looks adorable. "Yasu, I get that you're tall," she says, jumping again, "give it back!"

He concedes, passing the paper back. A look of surprise crosses her face at his easy surrender, but he takes no notice of it. Damn, he isn't supposed to be behaving like a teenager with his first crush. "Chibi, maybe you should try growing a little taller." Ah, that wasn't what he meant to say! He hits his inner self.

He quickly looks away: fuck, he needs a distraction from all these. He ambles towards her couch as coolly as he can, flicking the television on. "I got the movie you wanted," he says, reaching into his bag and waving it triumphantly.

She huffs as she settles on the couch after a few moments, sliding a chilled orange can to him. He grins at her, "Thanks, darling." A sizzling sound is heard as he opens the can.

"I really don't get the difference between Fanta Orange and Mirinda Orange," she says, eyeing his drink dubiously, then takes a sip of her own pepsi.

"I really don't get the difference between Pepsi and Coke," he replies, not missing a beat. He slides the disc into the DVD player then walks back to the couch, spotting a scowl on her face. He settles back beside her and she retaliates with another deliberate, loud huff. He feels the corner of his lips tugging upwards despite himself, and he shakes his head.

"Don't laugh!"

He continues grinning as he presses the 'play' button on the remote. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are!" She smacks him on the arm, and he laughs softly. Seeing her bite back her own smile, he chuckles some more. "See, you are laughing, geez!"

She covers them both with a blanket as she lays her head on his arm, making herself comfortable. He pulls her a little closer, reflexively, as his mind drifts off, remembering the little moments they shared while the title of the film bursts on the screen.

\\\\\+\\\\\

"Yasuhara-kun," she called, stumbling into the SPR office in her haste, "I passed it!"

He grinned, closing his book and stood from the couch. "Congrats, Taniyama-san!" She ran into his arms and he almost tumbled back at the surprising attack. Whoa, there, girl, he put her back down on her feet as she grinned widely at him. He shook his head at her antics - a person don't usually hug another who just happen to help them a bit with studies.

"Thanks, Yasuhara-kun! I finally passed English!"

Yasuhara chuckled. "Please, Taniyama-san, you were already quite proficient at it, you just needed a little work for your essay writing."

"No, no," she denied vehemently, shaking her head so hard he thought it would fall off. He stared at her, absolutely amused. "I must treat you to something, my friend! Come, I know of this great fast food restaurant nearby!"

"Relax, let me get my book first." He didn't know then how enthusiastic she could be. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, practically bursting with excitement.

"Yasuhara-kun, this is going to be the first time we're gonna have a real, proper lunch together!" She announced proudly, "we're officially friends!"

"We've always been," he said, chuckling.

She tugged him on the arm impatiently. "This is different."

\\\\\+\\\\\

"Why am I doing this again?" She groaned as she planted her face on the table. "I hate studying."

"I don't remember anyone loving it." He flipped to the next page of his text calmly.

She jabbed a finger in his direction, scowling, seeming to be attempting a fierce facade. "You!" She pointed to him again. He arched a brow at her; she was quite different from how he had imagined, that was for sure. He had taken her for a docile, noisy sort - an oxymoron, but well - but she turned out to be completely restless."You're always reading so much with this loopy grin on your face."

His eyes flickered to her face, a smirk playing on his lips. "You've been watching me." Nope, it wasn't a question; an observation, more accurately. He couldn't resist teasing her, and he expected a blush on the way.

"I - " She faltered for a moment, red colouring her cheeks - ah, yes, he noted absently, there it was. "I - I was too bored, all right!"

"I'm pretty sure there are other people to look at." He marked the page with his thumb and leaned closer to her. "Why me?"

Her face practically exploded with the shade of red - he didn't think it was humanly possible to blush that much. "You're surprisingly egoistical, Yasuhara-kun," she growled instead of other feeble arguments he was expecting. Oh well. He was at the climax of the plot of his book, and he had subdued her just enough.

"I'm not egoistical," he said, pulling back from her and returning his attention to his book, "I just have people to affirm my strengths."

"Oh?" Her eyes brightened considerably and she scrambled a little closer. He looked at her, "Personal space?"

"Shut up," she said, waving that away, "who confessed?"

He stared at her. She stared back, refusing to back down. He sighed; if he was closer to her he'd have replied with a blunt response. "Just study, Taniyama-san."

She plopped back to her seat and he could practically feel the exasperation leaking out of her as she bounced restlessly on the chair, drumming her fingers on the table. He found that absolutely distracting and tried to focus on his book.

It wasn't a minute before he caved. "Rin-san." Maybe he could read more peacefully now.

She clapped once triumphantly. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You don't even know what she looks like."

She waved her phone in his face. "There's always Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, dear outdated fox."

"Her name came in 12th position for the most popular Japanese name in 2012," he said, flipping to the next page of his book. He looked up. "Albeit not a very accurate source, but you get my point."

She was quiet for a moment, and he thought she had resigned herself from her foolish mission. But then when he turned, he saw her scrolling through a list of photos of girls all with the same name. A dent formed between her brows as she concentrated hard.

Despite himself, he felt his lips twisting to a small smile.

\\\\\+\\\\\

"Is this Mirinda Orange?" he asked, not resisting a sound of disapproval as he stared at the offensive orange can. Mai looked at him curiously. "You asked for orange."

"I said Fanta Orange," he said, picking the can up and sighed. He pressed the loose change in her hand anyway and cracked the beverage open. He could feel her eyes boring holes into his face and he looked up. Really, there wasn't a moment of peace around with her.

"Is there a difference?" She asked.

He pressed a palm on his forehead, exasperated. Of course there was. What's the use of having different brands producing the same flavors? Obviously it was to provide people with consumer choices and rights. "Taniyama-san, you must understand that there is a distinct difference, alike to tap water and boiled water."

"People drink them both." Okay, that was a valid point, but he refused to back down.

"People have preferences," he shot back.

"Preferences when both choices taste the same?"

"They do not taste the same."

Mai huffed, opening her can of Pepsi. "It's just to provide consumers with an illusion, Yasuhara-kun."

"Why are you not drinking Coke?"

She froze, stopping mid-sip, and placed the can back on the table slowly. "Well."

"Well," he repeated, arching his brow.

"Well."

"Well."

"Shut up, Yasuhara-kun," she muttered. Pouting at her own drink, she said, "I just prefer Pepsi."

"Ah," he faked an enlightened gasp, "preferences, again, I see."

"Your name is a fucking mouthful in an argument," she mumbled under her breath. He resisted a smirk at her curse. He didn't take her for one who uses expletives. He had thought they were past the stage of using honorifics, now that it was over six months of them hanging out like this but he didn't voice it out. He could torture this girl a few more weeks.

But then he heard her huff and a grin tugged on his face.

"Why are you smiling?" She poked him brusquely in his arm - it didn't hurt.

"Nothing."

She was obviously displeased at his answer, if the wrinkling of her nose was any indication. He watched from the corner of his eye that she was back to working Mathematical solutions while grumbling under her breath.

His grin, if he remembered correctly, stayed almost the entire afternoon.

\\\\\+\\\\\

"Yo, Yasu," Mai greeted as she struggled with shoving her small bag in the luggage compartment. He got up from his seat and moved beside her, slotting it in easily. Both of them got back to their seats.

"I'm surprised you didn't forget your passport," he said.

"Shut up," she hissed, "this is a school trip and I'm positive that I brought everything I need."

He shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"Let's play 'Would You Rather'!"

"No, Mai," he said, "and please keep your volume down, we're on the plane."

"Oh hush, we're taking off soon," she said excitedly, peering down the window, and he caught her look of surprise when he suddenly shut the panels and leaned back on the seat. Sorry, Mai, he thought, but he was quite afraid of heights.

"Yasu?"

The rumbling and vibrations of the plane jerked him back on the seat and he felt his gut clenching uncomfortably. "What?" He managed to grit out, hands tightening on the armrests, determined not to shut his eyes. This plane was going to fucking crash. No, no, it wasn't. Fuck, what if I died on this plane? Or maybe the weather is going to have an erratic change... All the worrisome thoughts attacked Yasuhara one by one as he winced, feeling the plane lifting off from the lane -

"Oh, fuck." He didn't realize he voiced it out until there was a poke in his side. He opened his eyes - he didn't even realized he had closed them. His heart was thudding hard against his ribs and he was feeling fucking terrible. He felt his stomach do a double flip as he managed to turn to Mai who was looking at him with an amused glint in her eyes.

"What the fuck?" He managed to say, albeit weaker than he wanted it to be as he squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Oh, my God," she gasped, "you've pteromerhanophobia."

"I don't," he denied, knuckles whitening on his armrest as he felt the plane lurching forward into the sky. It wasn't as if he didn't know how planes work - he had read books on them before, but he still felt this unjustified fear. He groaned inwardly.

"Oh, my God," he could hear her choked laughter - probably a result of her trying to resist laughing. "I'm sorry, Yasu, are you okay?"

He knew that his pretense was torn down, and so went for, "I'm fucking not okay."

He tried to get his breaths even as the plane continued to tilt upwards, going higher, higher, higher.. higher... No, oh God, why was he here? No escape, there was no fucking ground for him where there was control. Oh fuck, no, no - "Yasu." Her voice was quiet now.

He took another deep breath and replied, "What?"

He felt her hand covering his, and he almost jerked back in surprise. "Relax." Her voice was surprisingly soothing. Her small hand squeezed his reassuringly and he felt some peace as he relaxed his grip on the armrest by a little.

"Relax, Yasu. We're not going to crash." He breathed more evenly now. Yes, they weren't going to crash. But his stomach still felt terrible and he was almost afraid that he would lurch in his seat. He exhaled.

"Are you okay, sir?" He could vaguely hear a feminine voice ask.

"He's fine," she replied to the flight attendant, squeezing his hand again, smiling. The attendant looked at them both and smiled after a moment, "Do call for me if you need anything."

Gradually, he got used to the slight tremors every now and then - it turned out the take-off was what he really was afraid of, but when she tightened her warm hold on his hand, he realized his heart was skipping a beat for an entirely different reason.

Perhaps it was just him, but when she pressed a sweet in his slightly sweaty palm and smiled, he felt a small one of his own tugging up on his face. "Have a sweet, you scaredy-fox," she said, releasing her hold on him and popped her treat into her mouth. He felt strange disappointment when she turned to talk to her friend across the aisle as softly as she could without disturbing the others.

"Yasuhara-kun, did you finish reading that?" His friend peered into the small gap of the seats, pointing to the book in hand.

"Half-way through it."

"It's awesome!"

"I didn't like his thoughts, though," Yasuhara said, "he's far too simplistic."

"No," his friend disagreed, and as he launched onto a long explanation of how the main protagonist was manipulative in his own way, though motivated from a simple goal - he felt her hand resting on top of his again and he felt highly conscious of how her touch made some heat rise to his own cheeks (what in the world) now that he wasn't occupied by the inane fear and he suppressed it.

"Are you okay?" She whispered. He didn't reply, contemplating whether he should lie to make her hand stay on his.

"Yes, I'm fine." He moved his hand from under hers and patted her hand, then dropped his arm back down to his own side. "Thanks, Mai."

This was ridiculous - he, Osamu, actually readying himself to lie for that? Just. Ridiculous.

\\\\\+\\\\\

"It's freaking warm in here," Yasuhara muttered as he took a big gulp of his Fanta Orange.

She shrugged, "You didn't want to change the movie night location."

"Get your bloody air-conditioner fixed, girl."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, sir, I am."

He tugged on the hem of his shirt and turned to look at her, then shrugged and pulled off his shirt. She probably wouldn't mind, anyway. She gasped, her cheeks flaming red in an instant. "Holy shit, Yasu!"

"What? It's hot, and I'm hot." He wiggled his brows at her and she threw a cushion at him.

"Treat me like a girl, can you?"

He arched a brow. "You, as a girl?" He did treat her as one, in fact, he never forgot that she was one, but she didn't have to know that.

She wrinkled her nose, a sign he now knew well as her getting irritated. "Yes."

"Who was the one who left her locker packed with a mountain of papers, including pizza flyers?"

"Me, but - "

He cut in before she could get in a feeble argument. "Who was the one who crumbled her exam paper after just a week, squashing it under her books?"

"Me, but - "

"Who was the one who - "

"Shut up, Yasu!" She shoved him and he stumbled back a bit, chuckling. God, she was so easy to rile up that it's endearing, for some reason. "Fine," she huffed and he grinned.

"And stop that stupid grin before I smack it off."

She aimed a peanut at his lips and surprisingly did it, in which he caught it swiftly with his teeth. Her eyes widened in shock. "That isn't even remotely possible!"

"Well, it's now made possible." He chewed the peanut triumphantly, unable to stop his child-like joy. He felt like a kid sometimes when he was with her, very different from the mature aura people often commented to see him possess. He couldn't help it though, and admittedly, he quite liked being immature sometimes.

"I'm gonna smack it off with my hand if you continue that grin," she threatened. He chuckled - that girl didn't even look like she can harm a fly. Though she had a sadistic streak for ants and mosquitoes... Well.

He continued grinning, anyway.

\\\\\+\\\\\

He looks at her, her head burying in the crook of his arm as she peeks over her cushion. "Oh!" She gasps as a loud bang resounds through the living room, and she jolts in his arms. "God, I hate sound effects sometimes."

"Horror movies would be nothing without sound effects."

"I know," she says, leaning on him again, "ah, I swear, this person is fucking stupid - can't she just get out of the house? Oh, no, no, no - "

He chuckles under his breath. "Scaredy-cat."

"I'm not!"

He combs his fingers through her silky brown hair, absently considering how he shall approach her. "Mai."

"Hmm?" Her eyes stay glued to the screen.

He struggles with himself; he doesn't want their friendship to change, but he wants to look her in the eye and tell her how he feels about her. Courage. He needs lots of it. He sighs. "Naru is coming back next week, isn't he?"

"Mmhmm," she replies, and though her gaze is still on the moving images, he knows he got her attention.

"Are you okay with it?"

She smiles, "I'm happy, because SPR finally feels whole again. The mini gatherings we have with the others would definitely feel more complete." She looks up from the screen, brows furrowed, "why are you suddenly asking this?"

At his silence, she continues, "Are you thinking about my confession to him two years ago?"

He purses his lips at the image of her baring her heart to Naru. It annoys him to no end, but he is also, albeit selfishly, relieved that Naru didn't accept her then. "Maybe."

"It has been two years." She cracks the peanut open and pops it in her mouth. Crunching on it, "I have enough time." She is being evasive. He considers the prospect of her still pining after him and he resists the urge to punch Naru.

"Telling yourself that you're over it doesn't mean your heart is over it."

Now, she fully turns to face Yasuhara, a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "Yasu, what are you not telling me?" Her chocolate brown eyes are searching for something in his eyes. Her teeth is worrying her bottom lip and he finds that horribly distracting. When she finally leans back, he knows she found what she wanted. "You've someone you like," she states after a moment, and she reaches for the remote and pauses the movie.

"Who is it?" Her eyes shine curiously as she clutches the cushion close to her chest, her fingers whitening at the strength of her hold and he has no idea why she seems anxious all of a sudden. "Is it Misa-san? The girl you sometimes tutor?" He shakes his head. "Good, because I don't like her."

Huh? "Why?"

"Just.. well."

A silence settles between them.

He scrambles for words in his mind but he finds it empty and blank - useless when he desperately needs it. "I love you," he blurts out, a rather uncharacteristic move of his. Oh fuck, it wasn't supposed to go like that. He groans inwardly.

"Yeah, I love you too, Yasu," she says slowly, looking at him as if he had gone bonkers. Maybe he has. He concentrates his eyes on her fingers fidgeting restlessly on the cushion - she is worried and nervous, but why? He is sure he didn't expose his feelings. He hopes. And she is a very dense person... "So who's the girl?" Phew. Okay, no, not relief! She is supposed to get what he meant, isn't she?

"Not in a friendly way," he says. At her confused look, he resists the urge to face-plant himself on the floor. Oh, Kami-sama, why had he fallen for such a dense female? "I mean, we've a great friendship. You're my best friend. But - " What can he possibly say to make her understand?

"I treasure it. It fucking hurts though." Oh what the fuck is he saying? But it seems as if his mouth is already acting on its own, rambling things he can't even fathom himself. "Because every time I see you smile, all I think about is wanting to hold you tight in my arms. Every time I see you pout, I just think about how adorable you are. Every time you look into my eyes, all these weird feelings just topple me in a way that hasn't happened before."

Her mouth has opened slightly, forming a small 'O' and her cheeks are impossibly red but she remains speechless. His hand cups her heated cheek and brushes his thumb over it, "And when I see you blush like this..." He looks her in the eye, "all I think about is kissing you, Mai."

"And it just hurts because I know I can't," he continues, his thumb lingering there for a moment longer before he pulls away, his heart slamming against his ribs. "But as a saying goes, it hurts more not knowing what we could be. And if saying this risks ruining our friendship, I can only hope you love me, too."

Okay. What the fuck did he just say? She continues to stare at him, her face still the color of a ripe apple and he stands from the couch, heart plummeting. Of course. She probably still loves Naru. He takes a deep breath, feeling the sweat sticking to his shirt despite the cool temperature in the room. Mustering the remaining of his courage, he says bravely, "I'll leave you be, Mai, if you want me to."

He leans over to press a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Just give me some time, all right?" God knows he needs it. He can practically feel his heart being wrenched and twisted, but he can't bring himself to feel upset about his confession. He has nothing to regret about now. He swallows the lump in his throat. "I hope we can stay as best friends. Even after this."

He is about to turn, intending to bury himself in the heaps of books he has in his room - he fucking needs time to arrange his feelings. He knows he won't completely get over her. He needs months, perhaps even years -

"Yasu." Her voice is quiet, void of any chirpiness he is used to.

His hands fist by his sides, readying himself for her rejection.

"I don't want to give you time." She stands up, now, too. And he feels his breath catch in his throat and his heart pounding hard against his chest as she takes a step closer to him. Does she know what she is implying?

"We're best friends," she says, "but I've been thinking about you, too. Not in the friendly way. I imagine..." She trails off. Yasuhara is staring at her, and all he can think about is: I need to fucking kiss this girl.

And then, his mouth covers hers.

A/N: If you like it, and want Mai's POV of this, tell me in your review/PM, thanks!

And I really, really should be studying for my exams. Like seriously. College is hard work, but this just got into me and I have to type it out. I hope you guys enjoyed this and leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!

-mysticflakes