For some reason this one didn't publish.  I never save things as "drafts"  yet this one came up as such.  Trying to repost to hopefully fix this strange issue.  So sorry I didn't notice it before.  Thanks for pointing it out user:  charlievini.

"I'm only saying that we should consider researching what we somehow accomplished. We were suddenly able to share a dream! Even from my mass amount of academic knowledge of the subject of paranormal I have rarely heard of this happening to anyone. " Inwardly she had to relent that he sounded like a kid who got his favorite toy on Christmas. Outwardly, Mai managed to retain her annoyance and cast a glare at Noll from where she was still cocooned amongst the covers. She has managed to keep the glare going since a few minutes after they woke up.

The reason for Mai's annoyance was pretty significant in her way of thinking. "And I'm still on the fact that it's 10 am, and we have to somehow figure out how to get you passed everyone else without them realizing you spent the night!" Also, she may be attempting to postpone this in depth conversation a bit. She is honestly too groggy to try to mentally dissect their shared dream. She knows also that she doesn't want to contend with her full body blush every time she mentally goes in the vicinity of reliving it. So she has been trying to get Naru to table it for now and focus on the bigger issue at hand. The fact that he is rumpled, in his pajamas, and obviously spent the night.

"Matsuzaki and Takigawa both know I was here last night." He honestly does get where Mai is coming from but he thrills at making her squirm. He knows that he shouldn't hound her about it like he usually would so he mentally makes contact with his brother in hopes to somewhat alleviate her annoyance and fears. Hey, is Lin coming in to the office today?

Good morning to you too, brother. Why are you mentally calling me when you can... Wait it's 10 am and I haven't seen you yet.... Where are you? Oh no, you better haven't... Nope, Mai deserves to be wooed. She deserves flowers, candy, and poetry! She deserves the works! If you have any modicum of decency...

Noll could easily imagine his brother's face as he pulls out this brotherly protective mode with Mai. How did he think that Gene had feelings for her again? The thought seemed significantly ludicrous now. Calm yourself. After her nightmare and subsequential injuries I wanted to make sure she got a good night's sleep. She tosses and turns and I didn't want her to knock the gauze off. However, now you knocked me off point of the reason I am contacting you. As I asked before is Lin planning on coming to the office today?

Let me ask.

Noll wait for a few moments and realizes that Mai is still glaring at him. "I don't understand why you are so calm. Everyone is going to see you in your pajama bottoms and come to their own conclusions."

"Hence why I am trying to make arrangements to get an outfit here. It won't completely repair the others view of the situation but it will at least lessen the impact I suppose."

Noll, he says he can be there in a few minutes.

Good, can you ask him to bring an outfit to me? I didn't expect to stay the night and Mai is a bit perturbed at the thought of the others seeing me in my pajamas.

And rightly so! Okay, so apparently his brother got it.

As soon as Mai finally got Naru out the door she reached for her phone at the bedside table. She may still be groggy but what's whirling around in her mind trumps that. Mai stares at her phone's qwerty keyboard. She isn't a fan of texting but because of Masako's heavy schedule she wants to make sure she is free before calling her. She types a quick message asking the other if she has time to talk.

When Mai's phone rings she immediately presses the green receive button. "So, glad you can talk now! I need your ear."

"Advice also?" Masako asks in a somewhat hopeful voice.

"I don't think so. But, perhaps you will want to share some when I am done explaining the situation." Mai expels a long winded sigh before she rehashes the situation to Masako. The other young woman listens with an attentive ear and only makes a few somewhat 'suggestive' comments here and there. "He didn't get why I was upset about him leaving my apartment in his pajama bottoms, nor why I wasn't ready to talk about it yet."

"Well, yeah it's definitely a lot for someone to process. I don't know which I am more impressed by. That you openly shared with me that you had a sex dream about Naru or, that you two are so telepathically intune with each other that the dream was shared." Masako's tone of voice held both awe and friendly teasing.

"One, it wasn't a sex dream. I mean it was definitely a hot dream. But, there wasn't anything lewd about it. Two, do you really think we are just that telepathically intune with each other? I mean Gene was my spirit guide so I understand why he is still somewhat tethered to me. But Naru and I haven't really had a telepathic bond before." Mai bites her lip waiting on her friend's response.

"I'm sufficiently stumped. I mean I can hypothesize that it has something to do with the fact that you shared a bed all night. Not to mention it was a twin size bed so you had to be touching each other all night. But that is just a glorified educated guess on my part. I also am mentally hypothesizing though that Gene is acting more like a telepathic conduit between the two of you. Maybe as your relationship builds it will strengthen even more." Masako sighs herself. "But that all is probably just intellectual word vomit."

Mai had a hard time suppressing the giggle that forms on her lips from that comment. She takes a deep breath to push the mirth away. "You definitely gave me a lot to ponder over."

"By the way, does this mean the next time you two share a dream you will give me another play by play? I mean I can only imagine how lewd it can get between the two of you. It would be like verbal porn to my ears and since I have no love life to speak of currently I have to live vicariously through you." The teasing tone was there again but there was a lonely quality layered underneath.

Mai sputtered the moment 'verbal porn' was uttered but Masako had bulldozed over the sound and continued on with her statement. "Still nothing happening with that new bodyguard/driver that your agent hired recently?"

"I don't think there will ever be anything happening between us. He is too job oriented. But at least I have some pleasant eye candy to keep my company." She laughs lightly but Mai knows it's somewhat forced. Perhaps once Mai gets her relationship with Naru on stable grounds she will take some time to play matchmaker for Masako.

Noll's concentration was blown when he got into his car. He needed to go home brush his teeth (the quick swipe of Mai's toothpaste with his finger not satisfactory enough in his opinion), take a shower, and change his clothes (the ones Lin picked were definitely not his first choice). Plus he was mentally drained in general.

He had been trying to figure out why Mai and him telepathically connected through their dream last night but was coming up with nothing from the facts of his past research that were stored in his memory. The fact that he had been trying so hard to research it through his own knowledge was probably the reason he had unintentionally dropped the wall that kept him and his brother telepathically separate.

Were you going to fill me in about last night or what? He could just imagine his twin with his hands on his hips and tapping his foot impatiently waiting on a response.

Not now, Gene. I will definitely discuss it all a bit later. But now isn't a good time. Noll's sigh easily conveyed his mental exhaustion through their link.

Wow, you didn't intentionally drop your wall did you? Gene telepathically whistled to indicate how surprised he was at Noll's present failure.

At least I can put up the wall to begin with. Too late Noll realizes how big of a mistake that comment was.

Low blow brother. Gene groaned. But you are right I should start training again. He pauses as his memory patches into something his brother had said a week or so ago. Didn't you say something about training with Akane?

Noll grumbles, only annoyed because of how mentally enervated he already is. You are right I did, and before you continue I will plan on getting with her in the next couple weeks to do that. But, if I am working on my telekinesis I doubt I will be much help to train you with your telepathy.

I have a theory on how I can train it.

Despite his mental state Noll still finds himself intrigued. Oh, do tell brother dear.

All in good time my brother. All in good time. Just remember to get with Akane either later today or tomorrow.

Noll knows his brother is smirking at having had the last word as he pulls into the parking space in front of their condo.

John stares at her door, willing himself to knock. He's nervous for so many reasons that he can't even fathom. The only one he is willing to address is the fact that he has never done this before. He doesn't know the first thing about interior decorating. Yet, Atsuko suggested this as a way to get to know each other better. He once again patted the envelope in his breast pocket to make sure it was there, took a deep breath, and finally knocked on the door.

John paints a friendly smile on his face naturally with everyone he meets. But something about the one he casts on Akane as she opens the door feels different. He isn't sure he is ready to analyze the reason why that might be right now so he tucks that thought to the back of his mind for the time being. "Good day, Akane!"

Her responding smile is hesitant but John can just make out the tell tale curving at the corners of her lips. "Good morning, John. What's up?"

He lifts the envelope from his breast pocket to show her. "The team all donated some money to help you spruce up your apartment. Everyone else is busy today so I thought I would go with you to help you shop."

Her mouth forms a perfect 'o' in surprise and John finds the visual quite endearing. "But you all have done so much already. I really couldn't. I was planning on waiting until I got my first paycheck." She turns her head and casts a somewhat sad look at the apartment behind her. She sighs for a moment. "But, it is really drab in here, and perhaps adding a few bright pieces will make it more cheery I suppose."

They end up at a consignment store that specializes in furniture and clutter to help cheer up one's home. Akane is pondering over an old entertainment center and John has no clue what she is going to do with that thing. Even if she had a television it wouldn't make sense because the thing is obviously designed for the older tube shaped televisions.

Akane grins over at him and sees the confusion written on his face. She chuckles lightly. "There isn't much closet space in the apartment. I was going to remove the drawers on the bottom space and use those cubbies for a place to put my shoes as I got back. Then I am going to remove this particle board." She makes a repulsed face at the flimsy backing. "I am going to replace that with an actual wood backing, add hooks to this part where the tv would sit, and turn it is into a coat rack of sorts. I know it would never hold a heavy winter coat but maybe I can put something more sturdy on the side closest to the door." She bites her lip. "Oh, but that means I would have to go to a hardware store for supplies also. Do you mind?"

John is sure his jaw has dropped all the way to his stomach. She took one look at this entertainment center and saw all that potential? Wow! He realigned his jaw and cleared his throat. "No, no that's fine." Honestly, he had already determined if they would go over the budget he had been given that he would pay for the rest.

John's cell phone rings, and he frowns at the caller id. He isn't sure he has ever received a phone call from him before. But they had all programmed phone numbers from the members of BSPR when "Dr. Davis, is something the matter? Oh yes she is right her." Why did Naru want to speak to Akane?

"Oh yes. Sure, Wednesday sounds fine. Okay, I will see you then." She apologizes and hands the phone back to John.

"What was that about? Oh, Dr. Davis wants to begin working with me on my training. Or was it his training? Maybe it was both of our training? I really didn't understand much the first time we discussed it. But I guess I will know more on Wednesday." Akane seemed to be taking it all in stride but John was sure that she was more confused than she let on. Also, he knew if Akane would be training with Naru on Wednesday that he would make sure he could free up his schedule and supervise the appointment.

Just a really quick author's note!  I got notified that this story is #1 with the tag #maixnaru  !!  Thank you so much for making this story so popular!  Please don't forget to vote for the chapters you really like in particular!  And comment on parts that made your inner fan girl squeal!  :)