Hey guys! It's been sooooo long since I've written not just a fanfic, but really anything at all. I won't get into why I stopped writing for years, but I'm trying really hard to get back into what used to be my favorite hobby. This was meant to be uploaded to AO3 since I know that this site is rarely used nowadays, but I have to wait for my invite, so in the meantime I'll just upload it here.

Apologies if it's rough! I would love some constructive criticism if possible, especially since I know my first person writing isn't very good, but I hope you enjoy!

Nobuchika Ginoza POV

It was a warm day today. A good day. It's been a while since I've had a day like this. I enjoyed an early walk with Dime this morning, and we found that the community garden would be opening sooner than expected due to the nicer weather lately. The community garden is one of the few chances I have to try my hand at growing things other than my plants at home and the one I've kept in the office. Even work had been going well today. All we had was a simple case of one person setting off the area stress level at a nearby park. They were willing to come along without even resisting, and they are receiving proper care now. Even Kagari had been on good behavior today. All-in-all, it's a nice day, and once I've finished up this report, I'd be able to go home.

Hmm, maybe I'll be able to pick up some seeds for the garden on my way home?

While I was contemplating on what to do with my rare free time later, Masaoka walked up to my desk. He and I were the only ones in the office currently, as Kunizuka and Kougami's shifts were over, Tsunemori was helping out Division 2 with a quick case, and I allowed Kagari a short break after he submitted his report due to his good behavior. Masaoka had been working on his report quietly as far as I was aware, so I assumed he must be done.

"Yes? Are you finished with your report?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Yep. A few minutes ago, actually. You lost in thought there, Inspector?" He grinned, a low chuckle escaping his throat. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"…Not particularly," I answered quickly. I frowned; he was right. That was rare of me. But who was he to comment about such a thing?

I opened the Division's files and saw that his report was submitted nine minutes ago. I wasn't even aware I had received a notification. I felt my face turn hot, but tried to ignore it as I opened his file to check over it. Everything looked to be in order, his reports always needed the least revision after all.

"Everything about your report seems all right," I said to him after skimming over it. "Thank you, Enforcer. You should be done for the day." I turned back to my own report. I needed to finish it soon if I wanted to use any of the free time I'd been spending the last few minutes thinking about.

I expected him to leave after that, but… he didn't. He was still standing there. I glanced back at him, and saw that he was standing there awkwardly, looking everywhere but at me. Which was very odd for him, to say the least.

I hesitated. "Is… There something else you need?"

He looked startled that I said anything, but quickly looked away again once he met my eyes. "…Say, Nobuchika…" he trailed off before setting his eyes at the plant on my desk. His gaze stood there as he began to speak again. "I need to talk to you."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "You need to talk to me?" I asked, looking around. "Why not right now? There's no one around."

"No, not… now. Not here," he responded, finally looking at me. "Could you meet me later? …Please, it's important."

I looked away. The earnestness in his eyes and his overall behavior was so unlike him, it was freaking me out. Oddly enough, him saying the word "please" to me was what concerned me the most.

"…If I have the time," I answered, not wanting to make it obvious how worried I was. But I couldn't look at him as I said it.

"OK, whenever you're ready. I'll be around." He nodded before walking out of the office, leaving me alone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I submitted my report almost a whole hour later, no thanks to Masaoka and the state he left me in. It was almost impossible to focus on my report, and my previously yearned for free time was long forgotten.

Maybe he was attempting to be fatherly and make amends with me again? No, he's tried that many times, and has never been nervous and awkward like this. Even when he saw me for the first time again in eleven years, he was cool and collected despite how cold I was toward him. He always took everything thrown at him in stride. At least, that's what I always thought he did.

I needed to know what was up, but I was definitely scared to. What could possibly make him act like that? What could make him show me a side to him I've never seen before? Especially when he always liked talking about a "man's" pride?

I may have pretended that I wasn't sure if I was going to meet with him or not, but there was no way I could let this feeling gnaw at me for god knows how long. I had just begun putting on my jacket when Tsunemori walked into the office looking quite cheerful. I never understood how that girl could almost always have a cheerful disposition.

"Good evening, Ginoza-san! Are you leaving already?" she asked, eyeing my jacket that I currently only had one arm through.

"Yes, I just finished my report and was just about to leave. How was working with Division 2 today?" I asked, zipping up my jacket.

"Good! I really enjoy working with Aoyanagi-san, we get along pretty well. I have to say that I prefer our Enforcers, though." She looked down, smiling fondly. "Ours definitely have more… personality, I guess is the word I'm looking for."

I frowned at her.

"…Really."

Personality? Seriously?

What is with this girl and her attachment to the Enforcers? I don't understand it; I will never understand it. How many times have I told her that the Enforcers are nothing more than hunting dogs and not to get too close? And yet here she is, liking certain Enforcer's "personalities" over others. I could understand if she said that she liked ours better because they were more capable and better at their jobs or something, but I know that Aoyanagi's Enforcers are just as capable as mine.

"Oh! Um…" she started, breaking me out of my thoughts. She glanced nervously at me, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "I didn't mean to imply that I like Aoyanagi-san better than you! I like you both, honest! It's just that, um, Inspector Aoyanagi and I have… slightly more similar work styles than you and I do, that's all."

…What?

I blinked at her for a moment, confused, and thought back to the full sentence she had said. She clearly misunderstood the meaning of my glare if she thought that's what I cared about.

"That's not it. I'm tired of repeating myself, Tsunemori. I've told you time and time again not to get attached to the Enforcers. They are hunting dogs. Entirely replaceable. As long as they do their jobs, there's no difference between them."

"Replaceable!?" Tsunemori exclaimed, balling her hands into fists and placing them at her sides. "That's cold, even for you, Ginoza-san. They're still people, and I'm not going to… I'm not… going to be a- a jerk to them like you are!"

"I'm not saying you can't be civil with them, but that's not what you're doing! Being friends with them will only hurt you in the end. You're being a naïve brat who needs to wake up and see this job for what it is and the true purpose of the Enforcers! " I realized my voice was beginning to rise, it always rose whenever I spoke with her. But I can't stop, I won't stop until she sees reason, whether she likes it or not.

"Why are you always like this? I could understand if you're just worried for me as a fellow inspector, but you don't need to be heartless like this! And in any case, my psycho-pass is fine. I'm not Kougami-san, and I frankly don't like how little you think of my mental strength, and I especially don't like how poorly you think of our Enforcers!"

Enforcer this… Enforcer that… I don't know what more to say to get it through her head. Kougami's psycho-pass was fine too up until he found Sasayama's body, which only affected him because he considered Sasayama a "friend," but she already knows that. I just hope that when she finally understands, it won't be too late and I'd be training another partner yet again.

"If you want to be a fool, then so be it."

Tsunemori stiffened and opened her mouth to retort, but stopped when Kagari walked in. Due to everything that's happened in the past hour, I completely forgot about him.

"Yeesh, you guys are fighting again? Man, can't you two just get along for three seconds? Especially you, Gino-san. If you just didn't have such a big stick up your ass, I bet you could go a few hours without yelling at someone."

"Kagari." I composed myself. "That's no way to speak to your superior."

He shrugged, clearly not caring. I honestly didn't feel like discipling him, I had more pressing matters to get to, so I decided to ignore it just this once.

"Anyway," I said, glancing at the gaming console in his hand that was still powered on. "I sent you on a short break over an hour ago. In what world is an hour considered short?"

"Ah-hahaha! Aw, you noticed, Gino-san? I'm surprised you never came to get me, so I though you'd forgotten about me." He nonchalantly walked over to his desk and plucked out a candy from the jar on top of it. "So? What do you want me to do?"

"I am leaving, ask Tsunemori." I had wasted even more time arguing with Tsunemori. I still had to talk with Masaoka before heading home.

"Really? Alright!" Kagari cheered, raising his arms behind his head. "Did you hear that, Akane-chan? The party pooper is leaving! For once, we can have fun at work!"

"Y-Yeah…" I heard her say faintly, probably a little lost on thinking about exactly what kind of work she could get done with Kagari.

It was the least of my concerns now, so I ignored them and left the office. I had to find Masaoka.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Where could that damned man be? He wasn't in his quarters, nor was he in the rec room or any other place the Enforcers liked to hang out. If he wanted to speak with me, the least he could do was not send me on a wild goose chase!

The only place I had left to check was the rooftop, the place I always went to to relax when I needed it. Which had been more and more often as of late, unfortunately…

If he's not there, then I swear I'm just going to go home…

I take the elevator up to the top floor, and sure enough, there he is, leaning against the railing and staring off into the distance. How long has he been standing there waiting, I wonder?

I walk out onto the roof, and he doesn't even turn around or make any effort to acknowledge me, and something about that really ticks me off.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" I say, walking closer to stand next to him. "You practically beg me to meet with you, and then make it difficult to find you."

"…I thought you would come up here first, I see you come up here often after all," he says after a long moment of silence. He wordlessly hands me a can of coffee from the vending machine. I take it into my hands, but don't open it. It's warm to the touch, meaning he must have bought it a while ago.

"So? What is this about?"

He sighs, but says nothing. His silence is making me even more nervous than I already was. I turn my head to look at him, and I suddenly notice how old he looks, older than I've ever seen him. I feel like I haven't noticed how deep the wrinkles along the corners of his eyes were, or even just how withered the edges of his face look.

He sighs again before speaking. "So, how've you been, Nobuchika?"

An incredible anger flares up in me, hot and burdensome, at that question. The anger makes me slam my palms against the railing and speak before I even think about what I'm saying.

"This again!? You make me worry, thinking that something was seriously wrong, when it's just you with your belated attempts at being fatherly again!? Do you have any idea how strangely you were acting in the office earlier? Do you have any idea how much your behavior worried me? What, were you just trying a new tactic of manipulating me so I could finally agree to talk to you? Don't you dare make a mockery of my concern. Don't you dare."

I gripped the railing tightly. I couldn't believe that he would do this. That he would go through such lengths just to talk to me. I learned my lesson now, and I certainly wouldn't fall for this again. I swiftly turned on my heel to leave, when he spoke again.

"You're right. I'm sorry. It was never my intention to do that to you. I… I just…" He breathed deeply again, and this time turned around to face me. He looked so tired… More tired than I've ever seen him.

He put his hand on the back of his head and made a face, looking down again. "Geez, who knew I would have such trouble saying this…" he mumbled so quietly, I don't think I was meant to hear it.

"Dad," I find myself saying without even thinking about it. I could hear the concern in my voice plain as day, it was a sound I haven't heard from myself in what feels like a long while. "What is it?"

He looked up at me, and met my eyes for the first time today. He smiled so softly, so sadly.

"I have brain cancer."