Two months since his departure from the MWPSB (a few days after the end of Season 1), Kougami Shinya's name seemed like a forbidden word that isn't supposed to be uttered. Yeah, sure, people could still utter it, but not when Tsunemori Akane could even hear it. The lab technician at the Analysis Department was the one person who Akane sometimes share her problems with, most especially when concerning Shinya. Karanomori Shion, the atypical buxom blonde, listened to the younger woman often, most especially as Akane told her what Shinya had written in the letter. Shion was the atypical blonde simply because she just dyed her dark hair blonde.

Shion sighed. Akane and Kougami's professional relationship must have been that good for Akane to still miss her old partner. It was clear as day that Akane also like Shinya, though Shion hasn't got a clue as to what Shinya's ideal girl would be.

After all, she, Shion, once told Shinya she could have slept with him, and both agreed that they were not each other's type.

Sigh, she thought. Akane should learn to move on and get over Shinya, like she had. Like she had moved on from Shinya, like she had moved on from other nameless Enforcers who had been de-materialized by the Dominator. Or went MIA. She could just remain neutral and focused on work. And detached. And just smoke.

~~.

"I need exercise," Shion thought to herself after stretching her arms up.

The thought of exercise was a luxury these days, most especially since Division 1 of MWPSB continued to hound her with things to do. The only exercise that she had ever done was her almost-nightly tryst with a Division 1 Enforcer and her lesbo lover, Kunizuka Yayoi.

"That's not even a valid exercise, is it?" she thought as she put a joint of cigarette to her mouth.

Smoking was her only distraction from work, and even that could sometimes be denied of her, especially on very busy days. Five hours more to go, and she's off to her luxurious two days off.

"Please, just give it to me, please, please, please," she thought.

Ginoza Nobuchika, a former Inspector who had been demoted to being an Enforcer, called her.

"Yeah Gino, what's up?" she crisply asked in that nonchalant voice of hers.

They were talking seriously, when Ginoza suddenly smirked. The smirked suddenly send delicious shivers to her spine. Ginoza had changed, she thought. And it was something she welcomed because when he was still an inspector, Gino was someone who was snobbish and very serious.

Gino was talking to her about chilling out bit for her day-off.

"Ah, don't bother," Shion said. "My mind is tired, my body is tired. I want to sleep for two days."

"Okay," was all Ginoza could say before hanging up.

~~.

The next day, Shion spent half the day cleaning her house. After lunch, she spent another luxurious bath for an hour after having one that morning. The dust and the sweat were making her feel icky, and she didn't want to look so drab the moment she would step out of the house. She was planning to do the grocery today because her fridge was almost empty. For the rest of the night, she's just gonna watch some news while drowning in wine.

However, when she went to the grocery store to purchase food, she spent more on wine than on food. There was a drop of prices on wine, and she just wanted to splurge on some. Her Crime Coefficient was already up against the acceptable standards. Surely, wine won't overdo it, will it? But it still is nice to have some wine.

And now, she is just going to focus on making dinner for herself. And drink and smoke later.

When she got back doing the grocery, she saw an orange motorcycle parked at a dark lane near her house. She lived alone. Surely, no one broke in. What interesting thing could one steal inside? Her underwear? And who would even dare sell it? It's unhygienic.

As she got up the stairs to the balcony, she found a pair of shoes outside the door. The shoes were too large for a woman, so it wouldn't be Yayoi's. She decided to just play it cool so her Crime Coefficient won't elevate.

"Tadaima," she tiredly said to anyone who might have invaded her personal space.

"Okaeri," a familiar male voice greeted her.

Shion gaped. The man was sitting on her couch. That familiar sharp gaze. The spiky hair. The tall height.

"Kougami Shinya! What a surprise!" she smirked as she kicked her shoes off the door. "I'm glad you're all right, fine and dandy as always!"

"You're too kind, Shion," Kougami replied with his raspy voice. "I thought you'd gonna say that it's a wonder that the cameras around weren't able to pick any sight of me."

"Ah, yeah, that too," Shion joked. "Feel yourself at home."

"Yeah, I will," Kougami said to her.

Kougami watched as Shion went on her thing at the kitchen. He watched her placing some food on her table, and some inside the fridge. He also noticed the bottles of wine that she had bought.

"Looks like I unintentionally invited myself to a party," Kougami said. "What's the occasion?"

"None, actually," Shion said before explaining that the grocery store just had gorgeous wine that she simply couldn't resist. "And since you're here, we can make a toast."

Kougami smirked.

"And oh, maybe a cigar party?" she told her visitor.

"Yeah," Kougami replied. "Shall I help you?"

"Don't bother. You're a guest," Shion told him.

Nevertheless, Kougami dragged his butt off the couch and walked towards the kitchen past the dining room. Shion's place has a luxurious dining area, and a small room from where one can prepare one's dishes. Kougami followed Shion to the kitchen. He took a look around and smirked. Shion really found a good place for herself.

"How's... everyone?" Kougami asked.

Shion smiled. She knew he was about to ask about Akane.

"Division 1 has new personnel," Shion started out. "Of course, my honey Yayoi is still there. And there's not much I can tell you about everybody because... you know... you're not considered an employee anymore."

"Yeah, fine," Kougami lackadaisically replied.

"Don't you miss Ginoza too?" she playfully asked

"G... Ginoza?" Kougami asked.

"If you miss your former best friend, you can visit him in secret," Shion advised him.

"You know very well that I am wanted," Kougami rationalized. "Perhaps, by now, he has orders to shoot me."

"I know, but there isn't wrong visiting an old friend, like what you're doing for me now," Shion replied as she sighed.

"And... Akane?"

"I knew it," Shion smiled before she laughed a bit. "I knew you'd ask about her."

Kougami kept on a straight face, but Shion could see the shivering of his lips.

"Akane is fine, don't you worry," Shion assured him. "Her Psycho-Pass is as healthy as ever, and her Hue is of rosy health."

~~.

Dinner was uneventful. Shion could not even give Kougami some insider's notes from Division 1 or MWPSB, as Kougami was already considered an Enforcer on AWOL. Hence, Shion was being careful with her words, just as she always was.

But because they were in front of scrumptious food, the person that came to their mind was gummy-worm-candy-eating Kagari Shuusei.

Shion admitted to missing the kid because he was like sunshine in a rainy day.

"I kinda agree," Kougami told her.

"I wonder what happened to that kid," Shion said while slicing her steak. "Maybe... just maybe... he was killed."

"I have the same hunch as you do, Shion," Kougami replied. "I hadn't found anything."

Shion did not tell him that the case was swept under the rug. She knew Kougami could figure it out himself.

"Don't you... miss everybody?" Shion asked.

"I do," Kougami replied as he stabbed a piece of steak with his fork. "But everybody has to be out of the loop regarding my whereabouts. I prefer a life like this, hiding from the law instead of walking right in front where Sibyl could even see me."

"You don't have to tell me, Sweetheart," Shion said. "You miss Tsunemori Akane a lot, and I can tell."

Kougami smiled. Shion really liked calling him Sweetheart. Theirs was a relationship you couldn't call "more than friends." Nothing of that sort. Just being friends and knowing and understanding each other. He didn't mind Shion openly flirting with him. He just treated her like how he always did.

After dinner, Shion had Kougami do the dishes. Although Kougami pointed it to her that she didn't let him cook because he's a visitor, he still washed the dishes nevertheless. And Shion got out glass wines off her cupboard and prepared some wine that she and Kougami can share.

"After you wash the dishes, come to the living room so we can start with our wine and cigar party, Shinya-kun," Shion told Kougami.

"Yeah, will do," he replied.

~~.

Shion kept the front door locked. She did not want anyone, not even the MWPSB, or even Sibyl System to know that she had Kougami as guest that evening. If Kougami's gonna get out of her house safely, he had to do it when it's dark.

The smell of smoke cigar wafted on the air, as was the sound of wine being poured onto a glass. Kougami grabbed his glass after Shion stopped pouring some for herself.

"Cheers to us, Shion," Kougami started first as he lifted his glass at her.

"Cheers to us," Shion said as she let her glass touch with his.

Shion was a heavy drinker as she was a heavy smoker. Kougami and Shion shared those vices, and it was also no wonder that they're friends. Both of them sat on the floor, their backs leaning comfortably against the wall. Shion sometimes get on the un-ladylike side by drinking like a crazy woman on the floor, like what she does with Yayoi before their make out sessions. And tonight, she and Kougami were sitting next to each other.

"Say, Shion, you have good taste with furniture and interior design," Kougami complimented her.

"Yeah, I don't do the hologram shit," Shion drawled. "When you read too much fashion magazines, you try to incorporate being fashionable even with the look of your house. Like mine."

Kougami could definitely see that. Shion had good taste. Her living room has a nice Victorian style to it. But then, the furniture was just donation from a professor who once told her to go on therapy.

"Ah... I feel so alive!" Shion sighed while stretching her arms, goblet still in hand. "I love steak."

"Me too," Kougami replied. "It's a luxury for me, and you know that already."

"Yeah. If meat doesn't kill, I could eat that everyday," Shion replied.

Kougami looked at his reflection in the wine, in the goblet in his hand. He was on the run, and good things like this do not come easy anymore.

"Good style, nice meat, nice wine," Kougami sighed before putting a cigarette to his lips and blowing off some smoke. "I never know you could still have a good life despite having a degrading label by Sibyl."

"Nah. Just because I am a latent criminal in Sibyl's eyes, it doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the things the good citizens have. Just look at Kagari. Because he's deprived of toys, he plays with them in adulthood and eat candies. You can't just take some luxuries away."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Where were you... I mean, after you left?" Shion asked him as she looked at him.

Kougami continued to lazily puffed the cigarette while staring at the wall ahead. He did not tell her he will be running away.

"Just being on the run," he drawled. "Not telling you my whereabouts."

"Ah, I understand, Sweetie," Shion said. "It's not that you don't trust me, right?"

"Yeah, I trust you, Shion, but I want to protect everyone," Kougami replied. "From anything that might happened because of being associated with me."

Kougami turned to her and stared at Shion. The blondie raised her eyebrows curiously and asked. "What's the matter? Some shit on my face?"

"Nothing," Kougami replied. "You just need to dye your hair again."

Shion laughed as she grabbed some strands. "Yeah, my dark locks are showing at the roots."

And drowned on more wine.

"Hey, the helmet," Shion reminded him.

"Yeah, I'll return it to you by the time I come back," Kougami said.

"Sheesh, you're still a bad guy," Shion joked as she hit him on the arm. "Sweetheart."

Kougami smiled.

"Say, Shion, do you still prefer men or are your tastes totally into girls now?" he asked.

"Hm? Why do you think I could just change radically in two months? Of course, I still prefer cute girls, and I still like older men. Why? I remember you're older than me by a year. That makes you fit my standards. Are you interested to apply?"

Kougami smirked. "Ah. I remember the conversation we had in the lab. We agreed that we aren't each other's type."

"Yeah," Shion replied before gulping down her wine.

The two enjoyed the calm as they continued to share wine and cigarettes.

Shion began to share some strange things, and Kougami was starting to feel different too. Must be because of the way Shion spoke, or because Kougami was drunk. But he knew he could hold his own. He doesn't get drunk easily.

"Is anything wrong, Shinya-kun?" Shion asked him lackadaisically.

"No, nothing," Kougami lied.

Shion looked at him strangely and asked if he wanted some help from her, like searching for the location of a missing person.

"Nope. I didn't drop by for some professional help or to visit Tsunemori Akane," Kougami confessed. "I just wanted to check on things from a distance."

"Oh? She's your former partner. Why would you not see her in person? So rude," Shion joked.

She looked up the clock on the wall near the kitchen and saw that it was almost ten at night.

"Looks like the night is deep. Say, where are you staying now?" Shion asked curiously. "Why don't you stay here for the night. You can't drive while drunk. You can stay here in the living room."

"Thanks," Kougami said.

"The bike outside, is it yours?"

"Nope. I borrowed it," Kougami half-lied. "I'm glad for you letting me stay here for the night. Thanks."

"Ah, you are currently homeless in our city," Shion said while pouring more wine for herself. "And I'll be glad to help. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah..." was all Kougami could tell her.

~~.

*END*

~~.

Hmmm... I wonder how it would be if I write a smut on this. It might seem odd, but I think it would be fun to add Ginoza in Shion's encounter.